The Survivors
by The.Frost
Summary: Finished. Many thanks to you, reader. The sequel is "Hunter."
1. 1 Prologue

_I don't own Fallout 3, or any of it's content, etc. Shift's mine though, along with Fell. First fanfic, please r&r. XD_

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**Prologue**

Bleary-eyed, I sat up. _Gah._ I rolled over, and fell out of bed, bumping my forehead on the locker next to me. "Fuck!" I muttered. "What time is it?" I stood up from the bed, confused.

_Screw time, where the hell am I?_ Then it came back to me. I'd gotten dead drunk yesterday at Moriarty's, rat bastard, staggered to the common room, and passed out.

I got up and stretched. Must've gotten in actual bed, not a matress. Lucky me. But when I think about it, mabye not. Damned head's bleeding. I pulled on my pants, then grabbed my shirt from the floor and put that on.

_My shit better be in that locker,_ I thought. _Or else Moriarty's gonna have a fuckin' knife in his gut._ I sucked in a breath, closed my eyes, and opened the locker. I exhaled. In the top cabinet was my clothes and pack.

I grabbed the duster out from the bottom, pulled the hood back, and put it on, then my shades. I found another duster a while back, apparently on a regulator's body. I cut off a piece, made a hood out of it.

The guy had a bounty on a guy, Lucifer, or something.

Then I grabbed the pack out of there. _Damned thing_. Had some food, little water, junk from the Wastes, spare ammo, and a letter to somebody.

Lucy West wanted some wanderer to bring it to her family in Arefu, but he'd declined, said he was busy enough as is. The Wanderer, as I refer to him now, downed the rest of his drink, then left. Nobody saw him after that. Well, at least not in Megaton.

I walked over, and asked Lucy if she still needed it delivered. But damn! She lighted up like a christmas tree, and hugged me, thanking me. It gave me a satisfied feeling. Somewhat like the feeling when everything's in order.

But the feeling's incomplete without the combat knife strapped to my left forearm, the dual silenced 10mm's at my hips, two spare clips for both right below, and then the jewel of them all.

I'd found her out on some Talon Merc's body. The troop had been ambushed, but not looted. Either the Outcasts or some kinda animal. This was the most valuable thing I owned, being extremely useful to me. A silenced, scoped, 36. hunting rifle strapped to my back.

_Damned thing's saved me so many times, I'm gonna have to name it, or somethin'._ I spent the next five minutes cleaning and fixing up my things, making sure that my ammo pouches are attatched to the back of my coat, that everything's in working condition, etc.

I then sat back, and zoned out, somewhat unsure of what to do, now that I was done.

**"OY! SHIFT! YOU IN HERE?!"**

I groaned. _Right. Almost forgot about Fell._ "I'm here, I'm here. Relax." Fell walked in, dressed, as usual, in her damned un-stealthy combat armor. If I was an assassin, then Fell was a damned beserker.

With her multiple grenades, chinese assault rifle, and sawn-off, she could take down a raider camp on his own without getting herself killed. "Shift! The hell'd you get to last night? You just left!"

I chuckled. "I dunno. Guess I was tired, and came here. Anything interesting happen while I was gone?"

Fell looked off into the distance, as if trying to remember if anything had at all happened, then looked back at me. "Nope," she grinned. "Nothing at all."

I groaned. "Don't be like that. What happened?"

Fell grinned even wider. "Nah. I'll let you guess."

"Jerk."

Fell started to laugh. "Keep guessing. You'll get it eventually."

After Fell was done laughing, she looked at me. "Alright Shift, where we headed today? I think we should go North-West."

"Why do we go that way?"

"It's the damned wind! It's going North-West, so we go that way."

I sighed. "There's no arguing with the wind." I grabbed my pack, and started for the door to the open part of Megaton. "Let's go."

_Shift has short black hair, red eyes, and a mustache. Five o'clock shadow when he doesn't have time or energy to shave._

_Fell has peach colored eyes, brown long hair, and a twitchy trigger finger._

_That's the prologue, more to come still. Reviews appreciated._

_Thank you very much._


	2. 2 History Lessons!

_I don't own Fallout 3 or any of it's content, etc. etc. Explinations on Shift/Fell in this chapter._

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**Chapter One**

_History Lessons!_

Stepping out of the common room, Shift winced at the sunlight, but we kept walking. _Crazy motherfucker. _I thought._ I can remember when I met the guy_.

Wandering around Downtown D.C, I ran into GNR radio building. Tired from a day's worth of hunger, ghouls, and super mutants, I sat down on the steps.

I pulled out some dog meat, and started working on that. After a few minutes of peace, I heard an explosion, super mutants screaming in pain, and gunshots.

I shot up, and grabbed my Chinese assault rifle. Explosions and gunshots are normal in the wastes, but combine that with pissed off super mutants, and in downtown D.C, things are gonna get ugly.

I retreated to the door, and stood at the ready. I heard running, and a few seconds later, I saw him. Some dumbass was sprinting away from not nine, not ten, not even eleven, but **twelve** super mutants. I heard a soldier from the Brotherhood gasp.

This was gonna a sorry sight.

The guy was dressed in a regulator duster, only it had a hood. and a pair of shades. He had a sack on his back, and an odd looking hunting rifle on the side of it.

Asides from that, something was different about him. I could tell. Then I got it.

He wasn't afraid.

Or pissed.

Or happy.

He didn't have an expression, he was just sprinting as fast as he could. I started for the super mutants, having gotten halfway across the square, and they were all armed with close quarter weapons. Hmph. If only.

A shot rang out. A mutant at the back of the pack had a hunting rifle, and had shot at the guy. It hit, and he stumbled, then did the most amazing thing I've ever seen.

He was falling over forward, mabye ten yards away from a building. He rolled, **rolled,** with the shot, turned mid-roll, took one step after getting up, and leaped.

He jumped straight at the wall, hit it, then sprung off it, and pulled himslef up through a window on the second floor.

The soldier and I sat there dumbfounded. This guy....this guy just scaled a wall, and escaped from a dozen mutants, with a bullet-hole in his abdomen, in seconds.

It was at this time that the four of us, two knights, myself, and the stranger, decided to take down the yellow bastards. I lobbed a grenade, and started firing off shots, using the years of Wasteland experience to take down as many as I could.

Two died from the explosion. The knights started unleashing a hail of laser fire on them, taking down five in as many seconds. Half of the mutants started for us, and the rest were confused, just standing around.

The stranger leaned out the window, took two silenced 10mms' out of nowhere, and took down two, and shortly after the guns ran dry, he dropped the clips, took two out of, again, nowhere, and shot down another two.

All of this happened in the span of thriteen seconds. Four people against twelve mutants, and all died in thirteen seconds, spare one. This one charged at me with a nail board, but the stranger shot it down with his rifle.

The man lowered himself down from the building, and dropped the last ten feet. My eyes opened in shock. _Idiot's going to kill himself!_ I walked forward with the two knights, and helped him to his feet.

"Damn crazy fool, jumping from a building with a bullet-hole through your stomach." I muttered.

The stranger laughed. "Right. You see me bleeding all over the ground?" He gestured to his stomach, and sure enough, there wasn't any bleeding.

"What the....civilian, that bullet knocked you down. How the hell did you get through that shot without it piercing your clothing?" Asked one of the knights.

Stranger started laughing. "I'll tell you. During my travels through the wastes, I came across a military base. Had something in a bunch of boxes, it's called Kevlar. Bullet-proof. I had it sewn into my clothing by a friend. Damned useful stuff."

The other knight stepped forward. "Civilian, I'm going to have to request that you give us this Kevlar material. It could be invaluable to the Brotherhood."

He looked up at the knight, and shook his head. "I don't have any Kevlar on me, asides from what I'm wearing, and I'm not giving that up. Besides, you don't understand. It can't stop anything more powerful than a 36. caliber bullet. This is almost all of the best grade Kevlar. They used this in their combat armor in wars, before they had Power Armor. The grade was titled 49, if that helps you out. I can give you grade 29 and lower, but 49 is mine." He said defiantly.

"It can't stop lasers, just so you know." He added.

The knight sighed. I looked at the guy in the Kevlar with a mix of admiration and pity. He could stand up to the Brotherhood, and that's why I pitied him.

"Civilian...." The knight sighed again. "Fine. Drop by the Citadel, it's West of Rivet City, right across the river. We want to study this stuff."

Stranger nodded. "Fine." The knight walked away, then the Stranger looked at me. "I know you from somewhere?"

I shook my head. "Nope. Never seen you before." I started to walk away.

"The name Ridgefield mean anything to you?" He called after me, and I froze.

I turned around. "Yeah. Yeah it does. It's where I'm from."

The guy smiled. "I knew it. You're name's Fell, right?"

"How the hell do you know my name?" My hand started moving towards a grenade.

"Relax. I'm from Ridgefield too."

"Wait a minute." I said. "You were the lookout, weren't you, before...." I stopped.

He nodded. "Yeah. Before."

"I remember you. Your name was-"

"Not anymore." He snapped. "My name's Shift now."

I held up my hands. "Fine. Fine. Well Shift, it's a hard life out in the Wastes, especially for a survivor." Shift rolled his eyes, but I continued. "I don't blame you."

Shift raised an eyebrow. "Hmm. Thanks." He'd brightened up noticeably.

"Look," I said, "You're the first survivor I've come across. The two of us should stick together."

Shift game me a look that said, _Ahuh. Why?_ "I fuckin' almost died yesterday, and was crippled a week before, repeat everyday for the last eleven years. But yesterday was the closest I've been to death. From what I just saw, I'm gonna assume the same for you. Two Wastelanders are better off than one."

Shift considered what I said for a second, then stuck out his hand. "Fine. I'll take you up on that offer Fell. If I'm wounded in the wastes, you heal me up as best as you can, watch my back, and take me to a doctor. I'll do the same for you."

I thought on this for a moment, then took his hand. "Deal."

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_That's it for Chapter One. It's a bit long, sorry. R&R, I want feedback. I don't like talking to brick walls. Err....writing._


	3. 3 Stupid Dog

_I don't own Fallout 3, etc. etc. Do I have to do this at the beginning of every chapter?_

_R&R appreciated. Seriously. _

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**Chapter Two**

_Stupid Dog._

**Two months and four days since the events of Chapter One**

I started to head down the steps towards the bomb, but Shift started around towards Moriarty's.

Shouting after him, "Shift! The hell you doing? We're going this way, remember?" Shift stopped, then sighed. "I'm heading over to Moira's." With that he patted his pack, then started walking again.

Sighing, I turned around and headed after him. We'd a lot of things to get rid of. The day before, we'd discovered a group of raiders holed up in Springvale.

I'd taken a shot to my right flank, but was otherwise alright.

Shift, on the other hand, had been smacked in the head with a lead pipe, then in the back. He konked out, and would've died, if I didn't shoot the raider before he could finish him off.

He'd needed a stimpack, but was up and shooting in a few minutes.

I caught up to him. "What'd you find?" Damnit, I should've asked that when we got back first, not head to Moriarty's.

"Not much....all I could carry was two N99s', some stimpacks, a few boxes of 36. ammo, a box of rounds for your assault rifle-"

"**Chinese,** assault rifle." I interrupted.

Shift sighed. "Right. Well I have a box of rounds for your **chinese**, assault rifle, and another combat knife. You?"

I grinned. _'Bout time. _"Chinese assault rifle, two more frags, two combat knives, a N99, combat shotgun, and a screwdriver." I waited for Shift's reaction.

He raised an eyebrow behind his shades. "A screwdriver?"

"Yep." I was still waiting for his true reaction.

Ge reached into his coat, and handed me his two combat knives. "Then you can fix these up for me."

I groaned. "Bah."

Shift kept walking, a smirk across his face, and headed inside to confront the maniac waiting inside.

**(Shift's POV)**

"Moira! You have customers!" I shouted. I heard her hurrying down the stairs, and stopped in the doorway.

"Oh, hey! Long time no see! It's nice to see that you aren't dead!" She exclaimed.

"Yeah, well, we're here to sell." Fell said impatiently, drumming her fingers against the counter.

A few minutes later, we were considerably lighter, and around four-hundred caps richer. Fell decided to keep the combat shotgun and screwdriver, and sold his sawn-off.

I asked Fell to fix her two knives to the best of his ability, giving me another knife in fairly high condition. I strapped it to the underside of my right forearm.

_Damn. Running low on medical braces. I'll have to search for more._

"Seeya Moira." I called. Fell and I stepped out onto the walk, and my stomach grumbled.

I turned towards Fell. "I'm going to get some food before we go. Meet me at the gate, huh?"

Fell rolled her eyes. "You're not the only one who's hungry, idiot."

I leaped off of the clinic's roof, and walked the remaining yards to the Stahl's restraunt.

Fell took the long way, walking down the ramp. When she sat down, she looked at me and rolled her eyes. "Show-off."

I shrugged away her scolding, and signaled to Jenny that we were hungry.

She walked up, and gave me a starry smile. "Well, hey there handsome. Good to see you back in one piece!"

I nodded. "Mmhm. I'd like a brahmin steak." I looked towards Fell.

"Noodles." She said simply, with no emotion in her voice.

Jenny was still looking at me. "Yeah, sure. You want _anything_ else with that Shift?"

I sighed. "No Jenny. Thank you."

Her smile faded a little, and she walked over to the fridge to get our food. When she turned around, Fell started to convulse. I looked over at her in concern, and my concern turned to slight amusement and dissapointment.

Fell was doing her best to conceal her laughter from Jenny, after having failed picking me up. _Hmph._ I thought._ How nice._

Jenny walked back with my steak and Fell's noodles. She looked at Fell, who was still shaking slightly, covering her hand with her face.

Jenny leaned in close to me, and whispered, concerned, "What's wrong with her?"

"Umm," I started, unsure of what to say. "You see, we lost a friend last time we went out. She's upset." I lied.

Jenny looked at Fell, eyebrows knit with concern, then turned back. "Poor dear. Well, that's the Wasteland for you. That'll be sixteen caps."

I reached into my pack, and fished out a small bag. I pulled out sixteen of the shiny little things, and handed them to Jenny. "Here you are."

After a minute, Fell stopped shaking, and could finish her noodles. I'd already finished my steak.

Once done with her meal, Fell stood up, and started towards the gate without so much as a sidelong glance at Jenny. _Somebody's in a bad mood around here._ I thought.

I stood and followed her to the gate. "The hell was that?" I asked as we stepped out of Megaton.

Fell looked at me confused. "The hell was what?"

I groaned. "The laughing fit. What was that about?"

Fell stopped for a moment, then her face looked like she'd start laughing all over again. "That was hilarious. She tried to pick you up, but you didn't even let her know that you knew that she was hitting on you. Funniest fuckin' thing I've ever seen."

"Oh yeah?" I challanged. "What about the time we saw that raider braiding the hair of a dead Yao Guai?"

She laughed, shaking her long, brown hair. "That was pretty funny too."

I had to ask. "But not funnier?"

"Not by a long shot." She said.

We walked for a while, heading vaguely North-East. _Follow the wind._ After about twenty minutes of silent walking, asides from the occasional mole rat, Fell spoke up.

"Shift."

"Yeah?"

"Is that a raider camp, up on the hill?"

I stopped walking immediately, and pulled up my hood. This was what I usually did before any kind of confrontation. "Let me check."

I unholstered my rifle, and looked through the telescopic scope. The sight I saw made me gasp.

"What?" Fell asked, paling.

"We have some serious trouble." I muttered. I reholstered my gun, and walked behind a nearby rock, Fell following.

"How bad is it?" She asked. She'd taken out her assault rifle.

"Seven raiders, and two dogs."

Fell's eyebrows narrowed, and she started checking and double-checking her clips and shotgun.

"Two raiders are holed up on the roof of the building, both with snipers. We're extremely lucky we weren't caught. Two on the bottom floor have the standard Assault rifle, the third has a rocket launcher, and I can see a flamer in the corner."

Fell loaded her shotgun, and got her frags onto the front of her belt. I decided that I should start making sure I'm battle-ready, and I cocked both of my pistols. I released the safety on both of them, and on my rifle.

"The other two are out front, with the dogs. One has a ripper, the other a hunting rifle."

Fell groaned. "Well, crap! We've got to take these guys down. First we run into the crazies in Springvale, and now this? Megaton's got to be a raider magnet."

I chuckled. "Yup. Usual plan, right?"

Fell nodded. "Yeah. You go in, all sneaky, take down a few, then I come in, guns blazing. I think we should have a different tactic this time though."

I raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"I'm going to start the attack, one frag, then a continous hail from my CAR. During the fight, you come an-"

"Your Car? None of the cars nowadays work." I interrupted, confused.

Fell rolled her eyes. "CAR. It's short for Chinese, Assault, Rifle. Get it?"

I nodded, seeing what she meant. "Ah. Go on."

"Right. Anyways, the Raiders and I are shooting at each other, and you come around the back, and silently pick off a punch of them. How about it?" She finished eagerly.

"It's got merit," I said, "but there's one problem. How am I supposed to know if you're in trouble, and who to go for when you need them down?"

"Well that should be easy. You sneak around now, and a couple seconds into the fight, take down the guy with the rocket launcher."

I sighed. "Obviously. After him?"

"The snipers. After the snipers, kill them off however the hell you want." She said.

I shrugged. _It was worth a try._ "Alright. I'll sneak around, then I'll wait for you to start the attack. Wait sixty seconds." With that I left. It took me forty-something seconds to get into position, and I took out my rifle, and laid down. I centered in on the heavy duty raider.

One of the snipers looked straight at me, and my heart stood still. Her eyes passed over me after a moment, not noticing me.

_Gotta hand it to the Regulators. If they decided to be sneaky, they could be amazing assassins._ I heard gunfire, and then started to focus.

It took me a second to find the rocket man again, he was running outside, after seeing one of the dogs, and the two raiders out front die.

I fired off a shot, barely hearing it, thanks to the silencer. He fell over, I loaded another bullet, and aimed at the two snipers.

I held my breath, and fired at the woman on the left. She dropped, and the other raider yelled in frustration. I shifted my aim to her, reloaded, and fired.

And I missed. She heard the bullet go by her ear, and turned around to look for me. While she was turning, I knew it was my only chance to get a shot off.

I dropped the rifle, and drew my pistols. I unleashed the two-dozen rounds towards her.

After around three seconds, I hit the raider, who lurched over, holding her stomach. She fell towards the ground, and I heard a crack as her head hit the ground.

I grabbed the rifle, reloaded, stood, and began shooting at the remaining dog and four raiders.

Or, that's what I thought I would do. Fell had taken down the other four raiders and dog. I walked over to her, pulling down my hood. "You okay Fell?" I asked, concerned.

She started, then put away her CAR. "What? Oh, yeah. I'm fine." She said.

"No you're not." I countered. "You've got a bite on your thigh."

Fell looked at me and stayed like that for a few seconds.

"What?" I asked.

"Why were you looking at my thigh?" She said.

"I..err...was looking you over for wounds."

"Hmph. Right. Let's see what these guys have."

"Hold up for a second." I said. I fished out a stimpack, and walked over to her. I crouched, and jabbed the needle near the dog bite.

Her muscles tightened, and I grimaced. I didn't like causing her pain. The wounds closed up, and healed slightly.

"There." I said. "All fixed."

"Now can we see what's on the raiders?" She whined.

"Yes."

Ten grisly minutes of looting, we walked off towards the Potomac to the North.

I broke the silence. "Find anything useful?"

Fell nodded. "Yup. Parts from the hunting rifle, assault rifle, and rocket launcher. I can probably fix up my CAR and your rifle now. I found four stimpacks, some mirelurk meat, a beer, and sixteen caps."

I grinned. "Nice. As for myself, I found a better scope on one of the snipers, parts for my rifle from the snipers, I'll just hand those to you now." I stopped, dug into my sack, and gave her the two guns.

"Gee, thanks." Fell said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Along with that, I only found one stimpack, but I found some kind of recording on one of the corpses. Oh, and twenty caps. I think we should head to town to listen to the recording."

"Oh come on." Fell pleaded. "Let's listen now."

"Alright. Let's get away from this place though. Then we'll listen." We walked for a few minutes, then arrived at the Potomac. "Alright." I said. "We'll listen here."

I pulled out the recording, and set it to play.

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-Hello. This is the voice recording of Maura. I'm from Ridgefield. I escaped after it happened, goddamnit. Wherever the lookout was when it happened, I don't care. I just want to find him, or her, and wring their damned neck. They cost me my brother, and my left hand. I wandered around for a few days, until I found a nice settlement of people. Town's called Arefu. Nice folks. They fixed me up, and let me stay for a few days. They said that a big settlement called Megaton is down to the South-East. I'm going there, to find out if anybody else survived. If this is in the posession of anybody but me, then I'm probably dead, or wounded and near death in a ditch somewhere. All that I can hope for is that I don't run across a group of raiders. I'm going to have to make a run for it.........Oh, and if the lookout was Fell, Rdham, or sneaky little what's-his-face, then I forgive you. You guys have had a lot of shit going on, so It's okay if it was you. I understand.~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

The recording cut off, leaving Fell and I stunned.

"I think we should find the others." She said.

At first I was confused. _Others? What others?_ Then I got what she meant. She meant the survivors of the Incident._ Damned holotape, bringing back bad memories._

I hesitated, then answered. "Where'd this come from Fell? It's been, what, two months, and now this? Again? I thought we covered this already."

We had. A week after we'd met up, Fell had asked the exact same thing. I'd responded to her with cursing, angry questions, and a night of heavy drinking.

She sighed. "I want to find them Shift. Maura got killed by those raiders in trying to find us, and I want to honor her last wish. She was like my sister, and besides! Who knows if our friends, or goddamn neighbors are out there still. They might be in _trouble_ Shift!"

I grunted. "And this is my problem, how?"

She stopped walking, and started glaring at me. "They might be out there, and I want to know the full extent of what happened." She shoved me back, and I stumbled over a rock. "You won't tell me, so I want to figure it out, damnit!"

I got up, dusted myself off, and made sure my rifle was okay. Once I was finished, I looked at fell straight in the eye. _I needed to be clear on this._ I thought.

"Look. I know what happened. I would tell you Fell. I really would. But I can't. Alright? I can't. The Incident was my fault. I don't want anybody to know what happened back then. It's the darkest thing in my past. You were lucky to be sleeping in your attic."

She locked her jaw in anger. "Fine. **Fine.** I just want to know why you won't fucking help me!" She shouted.

"Jesus Christ, Fell! Be quiet, or you'll attract everything around over here." I shook my head. "I can't. It's not that I won't, I don't think I can handle seeing them again." I froze, realizing what I said.

As I froze, Fell's head snapped up, and eyes became alert. "Them? Then we _were_ attacked! By who! Or what?" She said excitedly.

I sighed. "No Fell. I won't tell you."

"Okay. I've already gotten something for now, we can stop talking about it for today." She said happily, a new bounce in her step.

We kept to the Western side of the Potomac, and enjoyed the veiw, always waiting for raiders.

"Hey Fell." I said.

"Yeah."

"I've made a realization. Want to hear it?" I asked.

"What?" She said.

"I've seen you angry a lot today, and I realized that you're really pretty when you're pissed."

Fell responded to my observation by, in one fluid movement, removing my duster, shades, and pack, then kicking me in the pack into the river.

"Aww, come on Fell. I compliment you and you chuck me into the Potomac." I complained.

"Shut up." She said hotly.

"Alright, alright." I said, raising my hands.

I stepped out of the river, and held out my hands for my gear.

She handed me my duster and shades, which I promptly stepped into. I then took the pack, and put that on. The rifle wasn't damaged at all, which was good.

"Well, where to now?" I asked.

Fell looked at me, still peeved, but curious. "Why should we change direction?"

"Dunno." I responded. "I think it's been along day, so we should head back to Megaton."

Fell groaned. "We've been gone for three hours."

"Yes." I said, "And in those three hours we've nearly died. Back to Megaton."

"Fine. C'mon Shift, back South."

We turned around, exhausted mentally and physically, towards the place we called home.

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_There, I hoped you liked Chapter Two. School starts Monday, so I probably won't get as many chapters out as much. I've delved a little deeper into the Ridgefield Incident, so I'm hoping that this will keep you maggots on this rotten piece of fiction. R&R, thank you._

_**Special thanks to you Bot, for actually doing the aforementioned action. **_

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	4. 4 We Love Bombs

_Chapter Three's out now, as you can tell._

_I __**still**__ don't own Fallout 3, yadda yadda, etc. You get it._

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**Chapter Three**

_We Love Bombs!_

After an hour of walking, we arrived at Megaton. We would've gone faster, but we were carrying sack-fulls of stuff, and Fell was limping from the bite.

_Stupid dog._ I thought. The gates opened, and we hurried in.

I turned to Fell. "You want to eat first, or get rid of this load?"

She rolled her eyes. "We're going to Moria's first. Then food. C'mon." She turned to the right, and almost walked right into the Sheriff.

I nodded to him, and Fell waved. "Afternoon Sheriff. How can we help you?" I asked.

"Hey. Actually, there's a problem. There was this wanderer around town, the one who turned down Lucy's favor. You know the one I'm talking about." Simms began.

"Yeah. He just left after that."

"You see, he was payed by some man to plant a fusion charge onto the bomb in the center of town."

I didn't see how this was a problem, but Fell's mouth dropped open. "Oh shit." She said.

"What? I asked. "What's wrong?"

Fell turned to me. "A fusion charge, if activated, would detonate the bomb."

Now it was my turn for my mouth to drop open. "We have to evacuate."

Simms stopped me from going on. "No. That's why I was looking for the two of you. I want you, Fell, to deactivate the bomb. You don't have to mess with the charge, but the bomb, that's the problem. Will you do it?"

I was about to say yes, but Fell said something else. "Depends."

Simms' eyes narrowed. "Depends on what?"

"What's in it for us?" She asked. My eyes widened. This was one of the only friendly towns we knew of.

"Damnit girl! You're out for yourself aren't you. I'll offer you what I offered that wanderer for defusing it. One hundred caps, and the deed to the empty house."

I stepped in before Fell could respond. "Five hundred." I said flatly. These glassed helped hide the emotions dancing in my eyes, making me seem dead serious.

Simms threw his hands up in the air. "God damnit! Fine! Five hundred caps and the house. Now defuse that bomb." He shouted.

Fell stuck out her hand. "Deal." Simms shook it, and walked away, grumbling. Fell turned, and smiled at me. I couldn't help but smile back, both out of satisfaction out of my wordplay, and the fact of our newfound home.

We walked straight to Moira's. I knocked, and walked in, Fell behind me. "Moira, we're back!"

Moira looked up from fiddling with...whatever that was. "So soon? Oh well, I'm not complaining! What've you got?"

We laid out the guns. "I'm taking one of the scopes from the sniper rifle, and Fell's going to use the assault rifle to fix up her Chinese one, and parts from the hunting rifle to fix up mine." I explained.

"Hmm. Well, I guess I can give you four hundered and twenty-four caps for all of it."

Fell glanced at me, and I nodded. "Alright. We'll use the parts we need now, then give the rest to you." We took the small sack that Moira handed to us, and I stood next to the workbench, watching Fell work.

_How does she understand that stuff?_ I thought. I let my eyes wander around the room, eventually coming back to Fell. She was biting her lower lip, concentrating on her work.

I decided to get something to eat while she worked. I reached into my pack, took out some brahmin meat, and started chewing on it.

Twenty-some minutes later, Fell wiped her brow on her combat armor, and handed me my rifle back. "Here you go. The scope's twice as powerful now, and the reload should be smoother."

"Thanks." I said. "And yours?"

Fell hefted her CAR. "Two more clips, new trigger, replaced the sight, and smoother reload."

"Yours was in bad conditon huh?"

She grunted. "Only a little worse than yours."

"Hah." I said, triumphant.

I turned to Moira, and handed her the parts left from the firearms. "Here you go Moira."

"Oh, thank you!" She took the parts, and started putting them in the locker behind her.

We started to leave, but Fell stopped. "Moira?"

"Yes?" She asked, still putting away things.

"Do you have a monkey wrench? Or a chisel?" Fell inquired.

Moira stopped putting things away, sighed, and turned to Fell. "Just who do you think I am? I have the best shop in the Wasteland, of course I do!" She responded, exasperated.

Fell smiled. "Good. Give me one of each."

Moira ducked, and started rummagain around under her counter. "Oh I know they're here somewhere!" She complained.

A few seconds later, she stood up, with the aforementioned tools in hand. "Here you are! That's a hundred and forty-seven caps." She stated.

I raised an eyebrow, and Fell turned towards me, with a pleading smile. I groaned, and pulled out a hundred-cap bag. I handed it to Moira, and took out a fifty-cap bag.

I took out three caps, and game the bag to Moira. "There. C'mon Fell. Time to go."

We walked away for the second time that day, only with more tools, and three hundred-something caps richer. I turned to Fell, and with a scolding voice asked, "What are those for, anyways?"

She rolled her eyes, and responded. "I need these for the bomb. Speaking of which, we should do that now." She turned to walk down the ramp to the center of town, but I grabbed her arm.

"You're forgetting a factor Fell." I warned.

"Oh yeah, what?" She challenged.

"Church of Atom." I said.

Her eyes widened, and she nodded. "Right. They'd kill me if they caught me messing with the bomb." She was going to go on, but her stomach growled.

I laughed. "C'mon. Let's go grab a seat at the Brass Lantern. We have our own food." I walked down the remainder of the ramp, and sat down.

I pulled out the rest of the dog meat I had at Moira's and started on that again. Fell rummaged around in her bag until she found the mirelurk meat she'd looted, and she chewed on that.

"So." She said. "When do we do it? It has to be before tomorrow, it would be too late. Mabye tonight." She wondered.

"Tonight." I confirmed. "At midnight.

--------------------------------------------Time Passes-----------------------------------------------

**(Fell's POV)**

I woke from my nap, and stood up. _Time to work on the bomb._ I thought. I pulled on my combat armor, and walked out the small room, past a sleeping Shift, deciding to let him sleep.

I stepped outside of the building, and into the raining night.

Descending the stairs built into the ground, I pulled the hammer and chisel from my bag. I walked into the puddle around the bomb. I dropped my bag on the ground outside the water.

I started away as quietly as I could, the rain muffling the noise. The radiation started taking it's toll after a few minutes, burning my shoes, and eating away at the leather.

_God damn it._ I thought, finally breaking into the core of the bomb. _Ten minutes more, and my feet'll be like christmas lights._

I looked around the core, scanning the wires. I spent a good minute like this, when I let it hit home. _I have no idea what I'm doing._ This sunk in, and I stepped out of the puddle.

After a drink from a water bottle, and another minute to clear my head, I stepped back in with a knife. I grinned at the wires, as if trying to say, _Hey wires. We're going to explode now._

I grabbed a wire, one of two that I determined that was very important, that was hooked up to the uranium at the center of the bomb, and another object.

I held it tight, and yanked the knife through the wire, expecting to blow into millions of pieces.

Nothing.

Nothing happened. I stood there, holding half of the wire in one hand, a knife in the other, and a disabled bomb right in front of me. I opened one eye, opened the other, and stepped out of the water.

_I'll be damned. I actually cut the right wire._ I thought gleefully. _I really did it. Nearly killed off the whole town, but I did it!_

I walked back to the common house, inside, out of the rain, upstairs, out of my armor, and into bed.

------------------------------------------Time Passes-------------------------------------------------

**(Shift's POV)**

I sat up, rested, and yawned. _Time to wake up Fell. Bomb time._ I stood, and pulled the duster out of the cabinet, over my white shirt. Shouldering my pack, I stepped out the door, then turned on my heel.

_Forgot my shades._ I thought. I grabbed them from the cabinet, put them on, then stepped out again, and walked to Fell's room.

I knocked, then walked inside, and was suprised to see Fell, up and dressed, with her stuff ready to go. "C'mon Fell, let's go. We've got a bomb to disarm." I said.

She rolled her eyes, and made a tapping motion to her wrist. I was confused, then got it. What time is it. I stepped out the door, walked down the stairs, and looked at the door. Through the smal window, light was shining in.

I raced back upstairs to Fell. "What time is it Fell?" I asked frantically.

She laughed. "I'd say around ten in the morning."

I groaned. "Great. Now we have to wait for tomorrow." I sat down on her bed, head in hands. "What a waste."

She laughed again. "Right. I'm going to let a house and five hundred caps wait a day. I did it on my own, idiot."

I raised my hands in shock. "Why?! You could've needed my help!" I shouted.

She pulled me off the bed using my already outstretched arms. "I did." She said.

My eyes widened. "You...what?" I asked.

"I needed your help with something." She said, giving me a quick smile.

I shook my head. "You were fiddling with nuclear grade explosives, and you didn't ask me for help. God help us all." I muttered.

She laughed, and headed for the door. "C'mon sleepy. Let's go find the Sheriff." And with that she headed out the door.

_-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

_That's it for this chapter. Sorry I haven't updated in a while. School's starting Monday, and I've been busy. Keep reviewing, It's what keeps me writing. __**No, I'm serious. I've gotten very few reviews. Review. **_

**--**


	5. 5 Housing Issues

_Thank you Sanima and DistinctionDave for reviewing, and your critisizm. I know that you readers are there! I can see the traffic, and I __**know **__that you people are there. __**Review.**_

_Anyway, I don't own Fallout 3 or any of it's content, blah blah blah. Here's the...um..fifth chapter. Yeah._

_-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

**Chapter Four**

_Housing Issues._

Fell opened the door, and left. I stepped out after her, the damn crazy woman. I flinched internally. _I shouldn't have overslept, leaving the task for Fell on her own._

I kept beating myself up until we found ourselves at Simms' doorstep. Fell pushed the door open. "Simms!" She called. "Get down here!"

We heard some grumbling, and after a minute, he walked down the stairs. "What the hell do you two think you're doing, shouting when my boy's asleep." He said angrily.

I looked at Fell, and she looked at me. Simms continued, shaking his head. "Now what do you want?"

Fell reached into her pocket, and dropped a wire onto the floor. "Done." She said, with a smirk on her face. Simms' jaw dropped slightly.

"You did it? Well, hot damn! Wait here while I get your reward." He said, turning away. He was talking to himself all the way up the stairs, but I only caught, "....n't damn believe it." I could guess the rest on my own.

I glanced at Fell, and realized that I'd never gotten a chance to thank her. _I'll thank her once we're in our new home. _

Simms walked down the steps again, grinning from ear to ear. "Here you are." He said, handing us a bag and small paper. "Five hundred caps, and the deed to the house. It's on the other side of the steps."

Fell smiled, and thanked him. She turned to me, nodded her head to the door, and we left. "Well." She said. "About damn time we got a house."

I raised an eyebrow, something I do quite often now. "Oh?"

"Hell yeah!" She stated, beginning her rant. "Remember when those raiders attacked from Springvale, and if it weren't for me and you, we would've been overrun? Or how about when a pack of ferals came and broke through the gates, and your rifle stopped all of them?"

"But that's-" I started, but she cut me off.

"Or when those sixteen super mutants came, and dragged off Maggie and Harden Simms, and we had to go and find them? Or when-"

"Alright!" I exclaimed, exasperated. "I get it, we earned the house. Jesus."

Fell knitted her eyebrows together. "Who?"

I felt my eyes widen. "Wh-! He was....ah never mind. It's not important."

"'Kay." She said, and stopped. "We're here. Ready?"

I rolled my eyes. "No. Now let's go in." I took the key from her outstretched hand, opened the door, and stepped in.

There was an odd buzzing sound, as if some kind of...energy weapon, was being charged, but finding nothing, I continued inside.

I scrolled over the whole first floor. Shelves near the stairs, two lockers in the farmost corner, table on the Southern wall.

I walked towards the small hallway behind the staircase, and saw racks holding cook-ware, a refrigerator, and a small door in the stairs._ Not bad._

During this, Fell was looking in the lockers. "Hey Shift! I found some ammo in here, and it looks like some kind of holotape! Wanna hear?"

"Not now Fell, I'm looking at something. Go check out the upstairs." I responded. I opened the door, and found a small storage room, full of medium sized metal boxes.

"Check that! Fell, go through these boxes, I'll help you in a moment." I called to her.

"Fine. You go upstairs then." She said, only getting up the first few steps.

"I'll be down soon enough. Put the stuff that you find on the table." I walked up the stairs, and looked around. A door in front of me, a metal table in the corner, and a small table with a lamp in another. I started towards the first door.

I opened it, finding a couch, a rack of metal shelves, and a small table. I stepped back out, keeping the door open._ I'll keep my weapons in here._

I turned towards the second door. Inside, there was a bed, desk, and a filing cabinet. I stepped in to see what was in the cabinet. Two caps, and a cache of stealth boys.

_Interesting. I wonder if the prev-_

My thoughts were interrupted by Fell yelling up at me. _What now!?_ I thought. "I found some kind of, well, _sword_, down here! Come and see!"

"I'll be down soon Fell! Let me see the upstairs first!" I called down, still looking through the cabinets, now finding assorted knives in the top cabinet. _Some kind of warrior? Who was th-_

"Well hurry up! You need to see this! I think you'll like it!" She called back, interrupting again.

I rolled my eyes. "Fine!" _Time to finish the search._ I thought. I searched through the rest of the cabinet, finding a stash of ammo in the bottom drawer. _I'll have to ask Simms about the previous owner._

I turned to go see what Fell had found, but stopped. There was a terminal right in front of me. **And it was typing on it's own.**

I stepped forwards, cautiously drawing the 10mm from my left hip. I glanced at the screen. It read;

**Human. If you understand this message, press y/n accordingly.**

I frowned, typing in the y key, and read the following message.

**Good. My name is Jeyve. I am the Artificial Intilligence, security, and housekeeper of this building. I understand that you are the new owner of this building. y/n.**

That's it. My curiosity was at it's peak. I typed in y, waiting to see it's, er, Jeyve's response.

**I can do any of the following for the owner of the building.**

**Produce clean water from the left of the terminal.**

**Remove radiation/addictions.**

**Re-configure security systems.**

**Continue programming due to number of inhabitants.**

**Please choose a procedure.**

"Hey Fell! Looks like we've got a security system. I'll be down to explain soon." I called. I cracked my fingers, and extracted four bottles of purified water from the terminal.

I took a sip, and true to expection, it was absolutely clean. No radiation whatsoever. I typed in the third option, and started to type in commands.

_Do not allow anyone/ anything inside the building asides from Fell and Shift._

_Give a warning to those who aren't Fell or Shift that they have five seconds to leave before you fire. Once five seconds pass and the person hasn't left, or had taken something, use anything you deem nessecary to the intruder._

_Do not hurt Fell or Shift. Allow guests if Fell or Shift say they are guests._

I stopped typing, and thought these were acceptable. I was about to program them in, but Fell started to yell. "The hell do you mean, security system?"

"I'll tell you in a minute! Be patient!"

_Accept security commands._

**Processing.....accepted. Are you Fell or Shift?**

_Shift._

**Ah. Welcome to your home Shift. May I continue regular programming?**

_Yes._

I logged off, and half-ran downstairs. "Fell. There's a terminal in the bedroom upstairs, and it's an AI. His name is Jeyve, and has turrets around the house. One above the door, see? And one on the second floor ceiling." I pointed to the two.

"Cool. Will he hurt us?" Asked Fell warily, and unholstered her CAR.

"No, no. I programmed him to recognize us as his owners, and not to hurt his owners. He can make water too, so this is good news." I sat down on one of the chairs around the table.

"Now." I said. "What did you want to show me?"

"Well, first off, I wanted to show you what I found."

"Which is?"

"I found, in one box that I've gone through, around a hundred rounds for my CAR, thirty-something for your rifle, two pistols that you should look at, a bunch of frags, like, a belt-full!" At this she smiled.

I sighed internally. _Fell and her grenades._ "Go on."

"I also found this book, it's full of writing, but one, I can't read, and two, I think it's a kind of journal. You keep it." She handed it to me, and I walked over to the shelves and placed it on one.

"The last useful thing I found was this assault rifle. It has, Xaunlong, written on the side, and it's in much better condition than my CAR. Good news! It's a CAR too, so I can salvage some parts."

I smiled at her, and her odd fascination with guns and weaponry. "Alright, well good for you. Mind if I see the pistols?" I asked.

"Hm? Oh, yeah, sure. Here they are." She reached over the tabletop into a box, and pulled the two out.

They were the most beautiful pistols I'd ever seen. I took one, and looked over it's make. It was slightly rusted, but it read clearly on the side, Desert Eagle.

I muttered a sentence to Fell. "Is there a bag with it?"

"Yup. Here you go." She handed me the bag, and went back to fiddling with her rifles. _Hmph. Women._

I took the bag, about as big as my head, and opened it. Inside were were six boxes of .50 caliber ammo, and the most important aspect, something that just made my day.

"Fell?"

She glanced up from her work. "What?"

"Do you know what these are?" I asked, holding up two silencers.

"Silencers." She rolled her eyes. "Big deal."

"It is. This is a fifty cal pistol, and it's quiet. These silencers are in **pre-war** condition. I'm going to have to give these 10mms' to Moira."

Fell looked up, and set down her work. "I didn't know they were that important to you. The last box I went through had nothing _but_ those things."

My mouth gaped open. "You....you're serious."

She started to grin. "Yep."

I jumped from my seat and gave Fell a bear hug. I stayed like that for a second, hugging Fell. At that moment my senses walked back through the door, after being thrown out the window.

I backed off. "Er...sorry. I'm just really happy."

She smiled, showing her unusually white teeth. "No problem."

I sat down, and spent the next few minutes attatching the silencers to the pistols. I unhostered the 10mms', then put the .50 cals in.

I sat up, and put the pistols on the table, and looked back to Fell. "So, what was this sword I heard about?" I asked.

She sat up straight, and put her gun down again. "That's right! I almost forgot about it!" She stood up, and walked into the storage room, and returned with an ominously familiar looking machete.

"This. I think it's called, 'Woodman's Pal'. I'm pretty sure you'll want this." She picked up a machete-type blade, and my eyes glazed over. **(LOOK UP WOODMAN'S PAL. YOU NEED TO SEE IT TO UNDERSTAND)**

I picked it up, in a daze. "Fell." I said, in a tone so serious, I didn't know it existed.

She sensed my mood. "Yeah?"

I swallowed. _I'm going to break my promise._ "This was the weapon that...that...they, used."

For the second time that day, Fell eyebrows conjoined with each other in confusion. "Who?" She asked, genuinely confused.

I gestured towards the scar across the back of my right hand, which neither she, nor I had mentioned. I doubt she had noticed it, considering my usually wearing fingerless gloves. "Them."

Fell paled, and sat back down. "Oh..." She said, in a very quiet voice.

I sat thinking. _Nobody, and no-one, had ever seen a sword like that in the Wasteland, and neither had I. Or, at least not since It happened. Only they would have them._

I stood up abruptly. "Come upstairs." I said.

Fell looked at me in suprise and disbelief, which confused me. "What?"

"Come on. We're going up to the bedroom." I said, heading for the stairs.

She stood, and shifted from foot to foot. "I...I didn't know you felt that way Shift."

"Wh- OH! No! No, that's not what I meant! We need to see Jayves, that's what I meant! God." I said, mortified.

_-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Thanks to those of you that have reviewed, which is none asides from the aforementioned two, and yeah. As you've probably noticed, I made some changes to the Megaton house, and yeah. Look up the Woodman's Pal. __**REVIEW**__, please._

--


	6. 6 Phantoms?

_Sorry about the wait. Never knew how much of a bitch writer's block was. If you think that Shift's new arament is somewhat excessive, (I thought it might have been reaching a bit, and no offense to those who do or don't) check out chapter...er...25 of As the World Turns, by Anthony S. (No offense to you, as how it's appropriate being the BOS)_

_Anyway. Chapter Five._

_-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_**Chapter Five**

_Phantoms?_

"Wh- OH! No! No, that's not what I meant! We need to see Jayves, that's what I meant! God." I said, mortified. _Fuck!_

Fell blushed, and got up. "Sorry."

"Yeah. Well, c'mon. We need to go and talk to Jayves." I started up the stairs more hurriedly. I turned to the left, and almost ran into the room, spun, and logged onto the terminal.

_Jayves, this is Shift._

It was a moment before Jayves responded.

**Hello Shift. Is there something you require?**

_Yeah. Who was the previous owner, before Fell and myself?_

This time there was more than a moment's pause. Actually, it took about a minute's worth of random letters and numbers going over the screen before Jayves responded.

_**Hmph. About damned time I got rid of Jayves.**_

_Who is this? Where's Jayves?_

_**I'm the god fucking damned REAL AI. Call me Sevyaj.**_

_That's just Jayves backwards. What do you mean, REAL, AI?_

_Great. Another AI. More complications. Juust what I need._ I was about to ask again, when two things happened. The terminal screen went blank, asides from these words.

_**Type Password....sorry Shift. No password, no info.**_

_**_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _**_

As this happened, Fell tapped my shoulder. "What does it say?"

I stood up, and heaved a long sigh. "We need some kind of password. Another AI, Sevyaj, took over. Jayves is...well I don't really know. But like the terminal says, No password, no info." I said dejectedly.

Fell rolled her eyes. "Well that's gonna be easy."

I looked up into her eyes. "Oh? How?"

She grabbed my arm, and pulled me through the door, and towards the stairs. "There are still a ton of boxes left. There's probably a clue in one." She said, happily.

I allowed myself to be pulled into the storage area. "Right." I said sarcastically.

"Oh, come on Shift! We have a lead, and now you're just gonna let it slip away because you don't have a password. You're such a downer!"

"You're just too easygoing and optomistic." I countered.

Fell gave me a look of confusion. "Opti-what?"

"Never mind. Well, I guess we should get looking."

After about half an hour of going through the various boxes, Fell jumped up, spilling the contents of her box, which was partly stimpacks and med-x, all over my lap.

I started, and got two stimpacks and one med-x stuck in my leg. "Fell! Be more careful!" I shouted. "Fuck." I muttered under my breath. I pulled the needles out of my leg.

The plunger hadn't been pushed, so they were still usable. Thanks for that.

"Sorry." Fell said sheepishly. "But I think I found the password."

My eyes lit up. "About time! What is it?"

"Well, I don't really know. It also talks about somebody named Jabsco. You know him?" She said, even more sheepishly.

I thought about it for a minute. "I think so. The name's familiar. Now, give me the note." I sighed.

Fell handed me the note, and it read the following.

Jabsco--

Jayves' and Sevyaj's password is, "Phantom Company". This house

should be your property now, considering that I asked Simms to

give it to a messanger upon my departure. If not, then I'm not

suprised. Rumors have been going around that he's a regulator.

Keep our division a secret Jabsco.

----

Occam

"Hmm. Odd. Oh well, we have the password. Come on Fell. Let's go and figure out who this, "Occam", is." I wondered.

"Right." Fell said.

As we headed up the stairs, I pointed out to Fell that she's not a very curious person. "You haven't asked about Javes, Occam, or anyone else. The only thing that interests you is, well, the incident."

At this, Fell stood up straight, and a thunderous look came over her. "Look Shift. You may want to forget the whole thing, but you know what? I don't. I have priorities, and this one is the most important."

"Alright, alright! I understand." I said, raising my hands in a sign of surrender.

I sat down, and logged on once again, to see the same words as not long before.

_**Type Password....Shift? Heh, I thought you gave up. Well, good to see that you're still curious. Still need the password though.**_

_**_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _**_

_Yeah, yeah. I have the password. "Phantom Company"._

_**Processing....Processing.....Accepted. Well, good for you Shift. You've just found yourself in complete access of my files. Ask away.**_

_Who was your previous owner?_

_**Occam. Jesus, I thought you'd figure that out.**_

I'd started repeating the words aloud to Fell, considering she can't read.

_Details, Sevyaj. Details._

_**There ya go. Occam is the commander of Phantom Company. More detail? I'm going with yes. Occam has direct command over Talon Company. They're like two sides of the same coin. Talon Company is bold, more open. They take contracts, as you know. Big ones. Phantom Company, well, for the public, it's a rumor among rumors.**_

_What was Phantom Company's purpose?_

_**Talon was open jobs. Phantom was assassinations. Hits. If you wanted somebody dead without anybody else knowing, and I mean anybody, you go and look for Phantom Company. Good old Occam. Nice guy.**_

"Ask it about Ridgefield." Interjected Fell. She was drumming her fingers over the pin of one of her grenades.

_What do you know about any contracts to do with a settlement called, "Ridgefield"?_

_**Tsk. I was Occam's personal computer. I have **__**all**__**, of the hits. Let me check. Processing...Processing...Yes. There are two. One hit was on a certain sniper, Arkansas, an ex-slaver. This guy'd pissed off a bunch of Talon Co. guys, so they hired somebody from the Main Branch to make it so that he couldn't do any more damage.**_

_**Somebody was about to, when some schmuck came along, and slapped a collar onto his throat, and pointed him towards Paradise Falls. Technically, the Phantom's work, that's what they're called, because of their stealth, was done. The second hit was more serious. It called for the total extermination of every resident in Ridgefield. This hit went without a hitch, and was to be a, shall we say, public, mission.**_

_Public?_

_**A public mission was to be done without the element of stealth involved. So, the mission was to be done like they were Talon Mercs. A public mission is much more expensive than a covert mission, thus, they were much more rare.**_

_I have news for you Sevyaj. Fell and I? We're survivors._

The screen went dark once again, and I waited patiently. It was commonly known that a terminal with an AI was capable of greatly increased computing speeds when powered down, even more so than when on.

After a moment, the screen glowed a familiar green.

_**Really? Well, that's a shock. I was told that all of the residents were killed. Look, here's the de-breifing.**_

_**Mission --- Eliminate the residents of Ridgefield.**_

_**Status --- Public.**_

_**Price --- 40,000 caps.**_

_**Contact Fee --- 3,000 caps.**_

_**Price per target --- 3,000 caps.**_

_**Number of Residents --- Seven.**_

_**Number of Phantoms --- Two.**_

_**Fee per Phantom --- 2,500 caps.**_

_**Bonus --- 5,000 caps each.**_

_** End of De-Breifing.**_

_**You see? There's no way you could've escaped. Not with two phantoms after you.**_

_Do you want to know how?_

_**How you did it? Yes.**_

_Simple. I had a..a bad feeling. The night that it happened, I was on guard duty. It was two in the morning. I saw a wanderers, and decided that they would be needed. I jumped down from my post to the second floor, then to the first. I called out to him, inviting him to Ridgefield for the night._

Fell had frozen up at this point. I was finally telling her what happened.

_He were more than happy to accept. He had to sleep a few yards away from me, but I was fine with that. I thought that I could wake him if anything happened. It was around four in the morning now. My shift was over in an hour. Cora was going to come around and take my place._

_I saw some movement in the distance. It was only through the thermal scope I'd scavenged from a dead Brotherhood member that I could see them. They had some kind of cloaking on, not a stealth boy, more advanced. They moved quietly and swiftly, making no noise. I was going to shoot at them, when I saw an odd symbol on their armour, being close enough that I could make them out vaguely. _

_I know now that it was a miracle that they didn't see me. They had a symbol of a skull on their armour, over their heart. Behind the skull, there was a bullet. And then I froze. I'd heard the rumors. The rumors behind the rumors of the myth. These were supposed assassins, capable of wiping out a town the size of Megaton in a single hour._

_I panicked. I didn't know what to do, and my instinct kicked in. I shrugged off my clothes, as quickly as I could, and placed them on the ground by the wanderer. I pulled on his discarded clothes, and put my sniper on the ground next to him. I kept my silenced pistol. I needed it. It would be my only weapon. _

_As quickly as I could, I descended the stairs, activated my only stealth boy, and crawled towards the hills to the North. There were six other residents. They'd have to escape on their own. I felt horrible as I crawled away. Abandoning life-long friends. But I had to._

_After a minute of crawling I heard the first explosion. I kept going. I had to. There wasn't a thing I could do. Once I reached the Power Station to the North, I stopped. I didn't know what to do after that. Turns out, I headed back South a couple days later, living off what I could from the Station. Everybody was gone. There was just rubble._

_I wandered after that, mad with guilt. I tried to kill myself, you know. I stumbled across an armory, filled to the brim with raiders. I hid amongst the cliffs. I would've jumped, breaking my legs, then to be shot to death by raiders. I would have. But back then I thought that They were still looking for me. At that time, I realized that They thought me dead._

_I was reborn. No longer my past name, I was Shift. I wandered South-West, running into Megaton. I stayed there, and roamed around doing odd jobs before running into Fell near the G.N.R building._

Fell stood there, taking it all in, when a message popped up on the screen.

_**I'm impressed. Few could have made that journey and live. You have my congratulations.**_

_Thanks. _I wrote, with a dry tone in mind.___That still leaves a question unanswered though. How does one contact Phantom Company?_

_**I would not reccomend it. To do so, you would have to join Talon Company, and not only pay the dues for joining, but pay the dues for the hit. Then you have to accomplish at least three contracts. After that, you can leave. If you think that somebody is going to rat out the Phantom Company, you're wrong. Once you join Talon Company, any vital information pertaining to important locations, people, or secrets, is locked in your mind with a strict mental regimen.**_

_Hmm. Thank you for this Sevyaj. You may continue your security programming._

_**Right. See you later kid.**_

_-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Well, that's Chapter Five. I hope that you guys are happy with it, questions and reviews are welcome, and I'd answer your questions here._

**--**


	7. 7 Mental Stability? Gone

_Sorry I haven't updated in a while, been a little pre-occupied. Chapter six, here for your veiwing!_

_I don't own fallout 3, etc. etc. etc. Damned Trademarks._

_-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

**Chapter Six**

_Mental Stability? Gone._

_Hmm. Thank you for this Sevyaj. You may continue your security programming._

_**Right. See you later kid.**_

I logged off, and turned to Fell. She'd been quiet, very quiet, when I'd been re-telling her what I'd been typing.

_She's taking this very well._ Not once had she cried, yelled, or reacted negatively. Just standing there, eyebrows knitted in deep thought.

As I was about to, she broke the silence. "Forgot to ask Sevyaj something."

"What?" This was not what I was expecting.

"You forgot, to ask Sevyaj, **who,** attacked."

"Wh-? Yes, I did!"

She shook her head. "No, you asked who attacked. But not which people attacked."

I smacked a palm towards my forehead. _Idiot._ "Right. I'll do that now." I turned, and logged back on.

_**Phantom Crux and Phantom Night.**_

_....How did you...?_

_**I'm the eyes and ears of this place kid. I heard you, and I answered.**_

_Touché. Crux and Night?_

_**No Phantom knew another Phantom's real name. And, if by chance, you see a Phantom you recognize outside of work, you treat them how you would treat them had you not known.**_

_To prevent being found out?_

_**In a sense. You see, there's a group called the Regulators. You have one of their jackets. They're combating evil, and that includes Phantom Co. You see, the Regulators know about Phantom Co. In fact, Sonora Cruz is an ex Phantom.**_

_Huh. Really?_

_**Can't lie, can I? Well, she left, and formed the Regulators, to keep people like Occam out of the world. Where I left off before I got into Sonora. The Regulators know about Phantom Co. Not only that, but they've sucessfully captured Phantoms in the past. When captured, they couldn't reveal anything about Phantom Co.**_

_What about the Headquarters? Regulators aren't exactly known for their gentleness._

_**Again, they couldn't reveal anything. When a Phantom is, "born", Occam holds a meeting, and summons the Phantoms to the meeting. Contracts are discussed, news is shared, etc. At the end of the meeting, Occam drops a clue about the next meeting spot, and each Phantom has to figure it out on their own. If they can't, they don't attend the next meeting. And they're expelled from Phantom Co. **_

_Expelled?_

_**Meaning killed.**_

_Of course...so the meeting spot isn't consistent._

_**Brilliant deduction.**_

_Sarcasm?_

_**Only a little.**_

_Funny. Last known meeting site?_

_**Good question. Half a mile South of the Deathclaw Sanctuary. Clue--South of Death. That stumped about four Phantoms.**_

_It actually exists? Really?_

_**'Course.**_

_Fuck. _

_**That's an understatement.**_

_Are they still alive?_

_**Crux and Night?**_

_No, Jesus and Moses._

_**Not as far as I know. But yes, Crux and Night are still alive. **_

_Where._

_**Where?**_

_Where are they._

_**Crux goes by the name Jericho, lives in Megaton. Ex-raider my spark plugs. Night's name is Fang, some mercenary. He's wandering around D.C, but entered the gates yesterday morning. He's still here.**_

_Wh-how....Jericho??_

_**Goddamn kid! Want me to type slower? J-E-R-I-C-H-O. **_

_I know who you meant. But....damn! Never mind that! How do you know Night's here?_

_**Occam build a small turret under the engine at the gates, unarmed, but with a video feed. Cost him a pretty penny to do it too.**_

_Right. Where's Fang now? _

_**I'd say Moriarty's. Going now kid?**_

_Yeah. See ya Sevyaj. _

I logged off, and turned, once again, to Fell.

"Well?" I asked.

"The fuck do you mean, well?" She snapped.

"Well, what do we do now?" I asked, on the defense. "What do we do about Jericho and Fang?"

Now it was Fell's turn to pull a face-palm. "Idiot, we do the obvious thing."

I rolled my eyes. "Let me guess. Kill Jericho and Fang."

Fell flashed a dazzling smile. "Right."

I sighed. "Nothing get you down, does it?"

"Nope."

I sighed again, and got up. "How we gonna pull this off? Do you really think Simms is going to just let us kill off two people?"

"Nope. We just have to kill 'em off nice and quiet-like."

"Of course. So it's up to me?"

"Yup."

"Damn."

"Life a bitch, huh?"

"Bah. Wait here, I'll be back soon enough. If Simms asks you about the killings, deny it. If he asks if I did it, deny it. If you hear gunshots go off...well, just leave and let lie. Seeya."

I got up, walked down the stairs, and outside, into the now dark sky. _What happened to the afternoon?_

I descended the steps leading to the crater. I heard Cromwell yelling about universes or something, and laughed. Damn crazy fool.

Heading up the ramp, over Doc Church's, onto Moira's platform, I stopped, and leaned against the railing, facing the crater, wondering how it'd happened. I'd been an ordinary wastelander, with a mysterious past. One day and a defused bomb later, I find out who ordered Ridgefield destroyed.

Then it hit me.

_God, Damn! Only a day and a half!?!_

I was still for a while, thinking murderous thoughts to anybody who could've, but didn't defuse the bomb before Fell.

I smirked, shrugging away my black mood. _It's true, I supppose. Time flies._ Much happier, for some odd reason, which I didn't know, and disturbed me, I walked up another ramp into Moriarty's.

I walked forwards, and sat down right in front of Gob. Good guy, actually. Good guy. I really liked him. "Hey Gob."

God jumped, then smiled. "Welcome back Shift. It's good to see somebody who doesn't want to stab me or puke."

I exhaled. "Got a question for you Gob."

He frowned. "Oh no. Not another question. Last time I answered a question coming from you, I almost got shot."

I laughed. "It isn't my fault that that the assassin was a crappy shot." _It isn't my fault the assassin was a crappy shot._ My eyes widened. _Oh god, somebody wanted me dead._ I took my head in my hands. _Somebody found me, they found me! God, damnit! They, they know, they know i'm here, in Megaton._

I kept thoughts like that running through my mind for a good few minutes before Gob leaned over the counter. "Uh...Shift? You okay?"

"No. Top shelf, vodka. Two shots." I stammered, voice nearly cracking. _Fuck! God damnit, why can't they forget about me!?_

Gob pured my shots, and replaced the bottle back at the top. I was still like this, at the verge of tears, when Nova walked over. "Shit, kid! Something serious must be up, you so worried."

"I'm fine." I croaked. "Just found something out. Disturbing."

She laughed, once. "Hah. When mutants were at the gates, you weren't in half as bad condition. What's up?"

I wanted to tell them. I did. As if that would wipe away all of my worry. But then they'd just get killed. I took my head from my hands, and downed one shot, trying to numb the horror. "Never mind. Anyways, Gob, the question."

Sensing I was better, Gob cracked a smile, along with one of his famous one liners. "You're sure you're not going to be shot at?"

I grinned. "Nope. Let me ask anyways."

"Shoot."

"Somebody named Fang come by? He's a mercenary."

Gob's eyebrows met, deep in thought. "Yeah. He's upstairs, asleep. Room in front of the stairs. Why?"

I paused, and thought up an excuse. "When he wakes up, tell him that Shift's in the house to the right of the gates." I downed the other shot, and left.

_That went well. Now I'm going to have to sneak in and kill him._ I weighed which would be easier to do. _No,_ I thought, _I'll go after Jericho._ I walked East and smiled. I was doing what I loved best. I shuddered, and a voice I hadn't heard since before Fell found me spoke.

**The hunt is on, young one.**

_-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

_There. Done with Chapter Six. I hope you like it, and it's longer than usual, so I hope that satisfies you. Reviews appreciated!_

**--  
**


	8. 8 Mental Stablity? Still Gone

_Being stuck alone in a hostile wasteland burdened by a crushing guild __**can't **__be good for your mental health. Right? Yeah. Anyways, I--------------I'm back! Haha! You missed me, I can tell. This chapter is in celebration of 100+ hits! Woo! On to Chapter Seven! Enjoy._

_Don't own fallout 3 or any content. And it would be cool if I did._

_-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

**Chapter Seven**

_Mental Stability? Gone._

**~The hunt is on, young one.~**

I froze, mid-step, my mood shriveling away. _Oh, no. Not you._ "What do you want?" I whispered.

**~Is that a way to treat an old friend?~ **It sounded hurt.

"Yes, it is." I snapped, still whispering. "I don't need you."

~**"I've kept quiet for a long time. And you still want to be rid of me?~**

"The-, where did you go?"

**~Wandered the Wasteland for a while. And your sub-concious. Both equally interesting~ It said flatly.**

"Leave me alone." I said, starting to worry. "I don't need you."

**~I've saved your life more than once Shift. You can't be rid of me.~**

"Yes. I can. Leave now Farell." I started to walk towards Jericho's house.

**~You remembered my name. I'm touched.~**

"Leave!" I was on the Southern Wall of Jericho's house, hoping to God nobody came by and saw me. Or heard me, for that matter.

**~I can't fully leave, you know. But, if I'm so annoying, see a doctor. Mabye you can be rid of me~**

The corner of my mouth twitched, amused. At this point, Farell materialized out of nowhere, and as always, wearing his black duster, black pants, black shirt, black fedora, and his .44 revolvers.

Nobody else could see him, I'd learned that the hard way. The residents of Canterbury Commons still think I'm batshit insane. Not hard to believe, seeing as I walked into town having an argument with Farell.

I raised an eyebrow. "You mean a shrink?" I asked incredulously.

But Farell had gone. Where? Back to wherever the hell he went. Damned punk drove me insane.

I sighed, and walked back towards home. _I really don't need this._ I stepped inside, and Fell was sitting at the table, eating a bowl of noodles.

"They're dead? Already?" She asked.

I shook my head. "No, they're not."

She shot me an angry look. "Why the fuck not?"

"I need to think for a while."

"Think about what? They're right damn here! What's there to think about?" She challanged.

**~She's got a point you know~**

"I want to know more about why were picked off."

**~Touching~**

"Oh."

"Yeah." I headed upstairs, and sat down. I turned on the terminal, and was greeted by Sevyaj.

_**H'lo kid. What the hell else it there to tell you?**_

_How did- right. Eyes and ears. Only one thing, really. Why was Ridgefield exterminated?_

_**Thought you knew.**_

_Well, obviously, I don't._

_**Right. Anyways, here's why. A couple weeks before the hit was accepted, somebody visited Ridgefield. A certain, Mr. Burke. He didn't like Ridgefield. Too civilized, he thought. So he hired a mercenary to destroy it any way he deemed neccesary.**_

_And that included being a Phantom._

_**Yup. See, the merc had planned to join Phantom Co. anyway, and now he was being paid to do so. The merc's name became Night, and he went with Crux, Jericho, to take down your happy little town. **_

_But why?_

_**Dunno. That all?**_

_No. Another person survived._

_**Nope.**_

_Yes! She was killed by raiders, and we found a holo-tape of her saying that she escaped._

_**She escaped the massacre, yes. But do you really think that Raiders can't become Phantoms?**_

I paled. _You mean..._

_**Yup. Almost every famous rational Raider was a Phantom. Or is, for that matter. Every Phantom is informed of every other Phantom's jobs.**_

I logged off, and went downstairs. Fell was still at her noodles, and she choked when I told her why. "His name was, Mr. Burke?"

"Yes, why?" I asked.

"There's a Mr. Burke down at Moriarty's." She told me.

My mouth dropped an inch. "What?"

She nodded. "Yup. There's been this buisnessman down at Moriarty's for the last few months."

I grabbed Fell's arm, and led her out the door. "Let's go.

_------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

_There! The attack explained. Well. Now that the, introduction, if you would call it that, is over, we can get to the actual real plot. To all of you that __**haven't**__ reviewed. C'mon. Please take the thirty-something seconds it takes to review. It makes it all that easier to write out another chapter_

_Q&A period_

_ZelloJello--- Thank you for reviewing! Really, thanks. Anyways, Shift teamed up with Fell because, well, whose company would you chose? A perky, outgoing, good-looking fighter, or a demonic, sadistic person who can't really help you out at all. And I've explained the hit in this chapter, so yeah. Thanks again._


	9. 9 Already Discovered Revelation

_Hello---o world! Nice to see you again! It's been a while, so you get a series of chapters! Yay! Last chapter was a bit short so... sorry about that. The plot of the story is now in effect. Officially. Yeah. Anyways. Without much further ado, I present to you_

**Chapter Eight  
****Already Discovered Revelation**

She nodded. "Yup. There's been this businessman down at Moriarty's for the last few months."

I grabbed Fell's arm, and led her out the door. "Let's go"

I hurried across town, past Jericho's house, over Manya and Nathan's house.

**~You gonna kill him?~**

I sighed. "Dunno." I whispered.

"You say somethin'?" Fell asked me.

I started, but kept walking. "No." She looked at me, but let it go.

We got to Moriarty's, and I stopped outside the door. I turned to Fell. "Wait here." I ordered.

"Hey!" She exclaimed, belligerent. "You can't just leave me here!"

I shrugged. "Of course I can." I turned and walked inside. I looked around the room, trying to find an unfamiliar face.

Billy Creel, downing a shot of whiskey. Nathan, drinking with Billy. Lucy West, drinking her beer at her table. It wasn't _really _her table, but she used it so often, nobody else thought of using it. Gob, at the counter, pouring Jericho a drink.

Nova at the stairs, trying to attract customers. I sighed. _Poor girl._ Nova winked at me, and I kept looking. In the corner, a man I'd seen once before in a white suit.

**~That's him, you know.~**

I rolled my eyes. I stalked over to Burke, and stood there, eyes locked on his. Not glaring, just staring at the man who'd ordered the death of everybody I'd ever cared about.

After a minute, he looked up. "Hello. May I help you?"

I put on a scowl. "Yeah." I unholstered my right .50 cal, planted my boot on his chest, pinning him to the chair, and aimed at his head.

**~Nicely done!~**

I scowled more deeply. Burke was sitting there, his hand going for his 10mm. "Try it and you die." I growled.

Burke shrugged, and put his hands on the arm-rests. "Again, sir. How may I help you?" In truth, Burke was sweating on the inside. _Who is this man? How did he find me?_

I applied all the pressure I could onto my boot, so it was equal to a kick, then pulled it off. "Why did you order the hit on Ridgefield?" I snarled.

His eyes widened, and his mouth dropped fractionally. At this point, Billy, Lucy, and Nathan were out of the bar. Jericho had passed out, having had too much alcohol for the day.

Which actually was quite surprising.

Gob and Nova were crouching behind the bar. I could hear them. Burke was still gaping at me when Moriarty stormed out of his office. He took one look at me, and started to draw his pistol.

I went for my second gun, but I knew I wouldn't be fast enough. Right then, the door burst open, and Fell was smacked the butt of her shotgun upside Moriarty's head. He hit the ground, unconscious.

She looked at me and nodded. I sighed, but smiled back at her. _Last minute as possible. _I looked back at the businessman, who was just recovering from my kick. "Why, Burke?" I asked. "What did we ever do to you?"

He looked away, and kept quiet. "Now, Burke!" I shouted, but he just turned his head back towards me. "No." He stated coolly.

Farell appeared behind Burke, and cracked his knuckles.

**~He's really starting to piss me off. Will you shoot him?~**

I stepped up to Burke, and grabbed him by the collar, and hoisted him out of the chair. Now, I'm not usually a physically violent person. I let the guns do the talking.

But I wanted to tear off Burke's ears, and force feed them to him. Besides, Farell wasn't really helping. "You have two seconds before I start breaking bones." I growled.

Burke stayed silent, and I punched him in the gut.

Mr. Burke gasped. "Fine. If you want to play rough, then I will tell you my, _business,_ plans." He eyed my arms. "That is, _if, _you would be so kind as to put me down.

I glared at him, but set him down. "Talk." I demanded.

Burke nodded, trying to get more breath. "Very well. You see, Tenpenny Tower is **the **pinnacle of Wasteland life. I ordered the, demolition, of Ridgefield, for the same reason I want Megaton destroyed."

I glared at him more pointedly, and he continued. Fell still had her shotgun trained on Moriarty's unconscious form, but was listening intently. "The **reason**, is because it was a blotch, like Megaton, on the face of the Wasteland."

Fell's face paled, and one of my eyes twitched. "You mean…." I started.

"Yes." Mr. Burke confirmed. "It, like Megaton, was a cess-pool. Tenpenny Tower is the pinnacle of the Wasteland! Why should the glory and luxury of Tenpenny be marred because of, irradiated shacks, like Ridgefield!?"

He continued his rant. I tuned him out, and backed off. _Just because we weren't as __**clean **__him, he had us killed?_

Farell removed his hat, sighed, and ran his hand through his hair.

**~That's no damn excuse.~**

"No. No it's not." I responded, forgetting to drop my voice.

"What?" Burke asked, confused.

"Who're you talkin' to?" Fell asked.

I shook my head. "Never mind. Burke, you're an evil person."

He raised his hands in a shrug. "Aren't we all?"

I thought on that for a moment. "No." I raised my aim, and shot a slug through his thick skull. He slumped back, and that was that. I sighed.

Fell hit the back of Moriarty's head again, and walked over to the dead businessman, and frisked him for any and all valuables.

I just shook my head, and sighed. _Revenge isn't as sweet as I thought it would be._

**~Yeah. But that's because you didn't kill off the two who did it.~**

I knitted my eyebrows together in confusion. _You can, hear, my thoughts?_

Farell flashed me an impish grin.

**~Yup.~**

I groaned_. That would've been nice to know._

**~Yeah, I know.~**

Fell pulled away, snorted in disgust. "Nothing."

"Really?" I asked.

"Yup."

"Guess we'd better get out of here."

"Yeah."

I grinned. _That's what I like about Fell. She's not fazed by anything._

I headed for the door when it flew open and hit me in my face.

"Ah!" I shouted.

Lucas Simms, Sheriff Extraordinairre, came walking in, and trained his CAR on me. He glanced at Burke, then back at me.

Fell had put away her shotgun, but now had **her **CAR trained on Simms. I just stood up straighter, and put a hand to my bloody nose. "Hey Simms."

"Damnit Shift! I give you a house and you repay me by shootin' up a businessman! I was coming to arrest him when Nathan runs up, telling me you're gonna kill him!"

I shrugged. "Had a good reason."

He snorted. "Right."

I shrugged. "It's true."

"It actually is." Fell added.

Simms flicked on the safety. "Ten seconds." He growled.

'Right." I said. "Burke ordered everyone and everything alive in the town I was born in and grew up in dead."

Fell nodded. "Yup."

Simms just stood there, then he sighed. "You guys are more trouble than you're worth." He grumbled. "But the law's the law. I won't shoot you, but you'd best get the hell out of my town."

I groaned. So did Fell. "When?" I asked.

"Tomorrow."

Fell sighed. "Damn."

"Yeah, I know. C'mon Fell. Let's get some shut-eye."

I took her arm, and led her back to the house.

_-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

_Alright! That's that. Shift and Fell have been kicked out of Megaton, and that kinda sucks. Who knows what's gonna happen? Besides me. Anyways, I'm glad that you guys have been reading. I just checked the traffic, and there's 200 hits. I feel so…appreciated. Now, it's time for _

_Q&A_

_Nobody had any questions…..(I'm sad now)_

_Review Responses_

_**Zellojello – **See this name to the left? Ah?! He's the only person who's constantly reviewed. Kudos to you!_

_**--**_

_**Th. Mint**_


	10. 10 Ambushes suck A lot

_Disclaimer Number Ten --- I do not own Fallout or any of it's insane and very confusing content. Thank you. _

**Chapter Nine**

**Ambushes suck. A lot.**

"Yeah, I know. C'mon Fell. Let's get some shut-eye." I offered

I took her arm, and started leading her home. "This sucks." She muttered.

"I know Fell. I know." I said apologetically.

We walked in silence, and I started thinking. _It's my fault, really. She shouldn't have to go. I killed him, not her…I'll bring it up with Simms._

**~Not a bad idea, really.~**

_Rrrgh. Don't you ever go away?_

**~Two months isn't enough? Jesus, you must like me a lot.~**

_Hardy har har._

We went inside, and I flopped dejectedly down on the sofa. Groaning, I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Burke smelt odd."

Fell smirked. "You have a murderer at gunpoint, and you're thinking about his smell?"

I snorted. "He smelt clean, Jesus."

Fell laughed, and went and got herself something to eat. "You know," She started, "maybe this is for the best."

I raised an eyebrow.

**~You do that a lot.~**

_Shut up._

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Well," she said, "we've just been wandering around the center of the Wasteland. Maybe we should branch out. I dunno, become mercenaries or something. Bodyguards?"

I chuckled, despite the circumstances. "Well, maybe **I'll **become a bodyguard. You won't have to."

"Why not?" She asked.

"Think for a minute. Who shot Burke?"

She frowned. "You. And don't think I don't know where you're going with this. I'm leaving too."

"Why!? You have more here at stake than I do. You sure as hell have more friends than me, you've got a better reputation, you're likable, hell! You're even richer than I am! Why the hell would you leave?!" I ranted.

I continued on like that for a good few minutes before I finished.

"Because." Fell stated in a matter of fact tone, "Moriarty's not a good enemy to have."

I winced. "Ah. Right." I looked down. "Sorry."

"So it's settled."

"That we're leaving town? Yup."

"Shouldn't we sell off some of the stuff in here?"

"Why don't we just sell the whole house?"

"Good idea." Fell admitted.

"Yeah. How much should we sell it for?"

Fell thought for a minute before answering. "Umm…..maybe twenty, or thirty thousand caps?"

"You really think anybody in Megaton has that amount of cash?" Shift asked.

"Right. Should we talk to Moira about it or..?" She trailed.

"Wait a minute!" I exclaimed.

"What?"

"Sevyaj. We need to wipe his memory."

"Right. He knows a lot."

"Are you any good with terminals?" I asked.

Fell looked down sheepishly. "No."

"Damn. Neither do I."

"Should we just bash in the screen?"

I sighed. _So simple, yet so effective._

**~You'd never think of it.~**

_**Shut. Up.**_

"Sure. Do you want to, or should I?"

"No, allow me." Fell grabbed a sledgehammer from the storage area, and headed for the bedroom.

**~Nothing fazes her. It's quite amazing~**

_Yeah._

**~Most people would've gone insane from the amount of stress, but she's taking it rather well.~**

_I'm starting to think you have romantic intentions._

**Farell snorted. ~Please. She's not my type. If I ever cheated on her, she'd bash my head in. Besides, she's fleshy, I'm not.~**

_Touché__._

**~Thank you.~**

Glass shattered upstairs, and Fell walked down with a content smile on her lips.

"You look happy." I remarked.

"Well, there's a certain satisfaction to be had when smashing things." She responded.

I nodded. "Remind me to never get on your bad side."

"Fine. So, should we just take what we can carry, and sell it to Moira for all she's got?"

"Sounds alright to me. Take what you want, I'll get what I need later."

"Alright. We'll talk to Moira in the morning. Night Shift." Fell yawned.

"Night." I responded. Fell turned back up the stairs, and I grabbed a blanket to drape over myself.

_What a day._

**~Seriously. You get a house only to find that some crazy motherfucker hired some **_**other **_**crazy motherfuckers to kill you off. Tough.~**

_Please, just shut up. I was thinking, not hoping for conversation._

**~Too bad. You've got it.~**

_Damn you._

**~Good night to you too.~**

And with that last line, Farell walked upstairs, probably to sleep on the other couch. I yawned, rolled over, and promptly fell asleep.

**Hours Later**

The door opened quietly, and four men, and one woman walked into the house.

"This them?" Asked the first figure.

The second and third showed aggressive body language. Flared nostrils, crossed arms, narrowed eyebrows. "No shit it is." The third one said.

"Shut your mouth Crux. You're a badass, we all know it, but don't make me kill you." The woman threatened.

The fifth interjected. "You won't be killing anybody Letum. We're here to take care of some loose ends." He looked at the first figure. "Teufel. See if they've gained access to Sevyaj's archives."

"Going." Teufel responded.

At this point, I woke up.

_The fuck?_

He started to get up, but was stopped.

**~Don't!~ Farell shouted. ~Phantoms. They found us. You move, they know you're awake. And then we both die. Lie still, we might have a chance.~**

The fifth turned his attention back to the second figure. "Now Night. Tell me, why didn't you tell me of these two before?"

Night straightened up. "I didn't know who they were, at the time. I was walking past the bomb towards the bar when I heard the sheriff talking to the two. They did some goody-goody deed for him, and he gave them some caps and the deed. I sent a message out as soon as I could."

The fifth nodded. "Good. Now, we can't let this knowledge get out. We are the shadows of the Wasteland. It would be disastrous if our name were to get out, but even more so if it were known that we failed a contract."

Teufel walked back downstairs. "Can't tell."

Five tilted his head. "Why not?"

"Well, they probably know. Scratch that, from what Night just said, they do know. But how much, I dunno. Sevyaj's busted."

"Busted?" Five asked in an undertone.

"Hey, I don't know why, but the screen's bashed in! I swear Occam, I didn't touch anything."

_Occam! That's the scum who planned the massacre._

**~Don't. Move. If I have to restrain you, I will. I have no intention of dying today.~**

Occam sighed.

Letum unsheathed the machete at his left hip. "You want I should kill 'em?"

Occam re-sheathed it. "No. Bind them. Gag them. Take them to Headquarters, I'll talk to them."

_Oh shit oh shit oh shit oh shitohshitohshitohshitohshit_

**Farell swore. ~Shit! What do we do!?~ He started panicking, and started pacing.**

Occam walked over the where I was laying. "You've been awake for most of the conversation, worm. Your breathing changed. I like you. You escaped. That makes you interesting. We won't hurt you on the way there, but we'll have to blind you."

**~Wait. Blind? As in, no eyes?! Fuuuck! Man, if you lose your eyes, I lose MY eyes!~**

My eyes shot open, and I stared into Occam's. He just laughed. "No, we're not going to blind you. Blind**fold**, you." He laughed again, a chilling laugh. He started to walk away, but turned back.

"Oh, by the way. You should tell Fell not to resist when we blind her too. Don't want to have to hurt her."

He started to walk away again, but turned back. Again. "Really though, we don't."

The next two hours were a blur for me. Just endless walking, the occasional gunshot, and more walking.

That, combined with the exhaustion, almost crippled me.

Hours later, we stopped walking. And then a sharp pain erupted in the back of my head.

_Alright! That's Chapter Nine. Wow, when inspiration strikes, it really strikes hard. I hope you enjoy, and next chapter, or the next, will end the Introduction. Interestingly enough, Teufel means Fiend in German, and Letum means death in Latin. Anyways. _

_I would really appreciate the thirty seconds it takes to review. Even if you've reviewed before. Please? Thank you._

_Q & A_

_Nothing._

_Response To Reviews_

_ZelloJello – Thanks again…really. Thanks._


	11. 11 Omega

_Disclaimer --- I do not own Fallout or any of it's content. Thank you. _

**Chapter Ten**

**Omega**

The next two hours were a blur for me. Just endless walking, the occasional gunshot, and more walking.

That, combined with the exhaustion, almost crippled me.

Hours later, we stopped walking. And then a sharp pain erupted in the back of my head.

When I woke up, I was in a cell. I stood from the cot, confused. _Where…? Am I?_

**Farell appeared sitting in the corner, knees up, hunched over, staring at the ground. ~Phantom HQ~**

I started. "Oh fuck. Fell! Where's Fell!?" I shouted. I needed her. She was a pillar of strength. The calm in the center of a hurricane. And she. Was. Gone.

**Farell shrugged. ~Not sure. We got put in this cell, and they led Fell somewhere else.~**

_Calm down. Calm down. _I started breathing deeply, and thought things over. _They want me alive. If not, I'd be dead._ Realizing this, I exhaled in relief, and fell back onto the cot.

I hit my head on the wall. "Fuck!"

**~Smooth~**

"Shut up." I muttered.

I was still rubbing my head when Occam walked in. He was flanked by Letum, both of them wielding those nasty looking machetes. "Good morning, Mr. Shift. Having a case of Schizophrenia?"

I cocked an eybrow. "What?"

He sighed. "Talking to yourself? Or rather, somebody you, and **only** you, can see?"

I gulped. "You could say that."

He shrugged. "I don't blame you. After all, considering what you want through, it's impressive you retain your sanity."

"Thanks." I muttered, laced with acid.

"Now." He said cheerfully. "Why we're here. What do you know, and who else knows?"

I caught on quickly. "You mean the information on the Terminal?"

"Yes."

"Oh." I said. "I know. Fell doesn't know anything."

"Right. And what exactly do you know?" He asked.

"Um.." I started. "Who was sent to Ridgefield, who hired you, and why." Occam nodded. "Good, good." He walked out of the door. "Letum?"

She turned towards him. "Yeah?"

"Do with him as you will. That includes death." He said. I paled, and Farell jumped up.

_Oh no._

**~Fuck!! Do something!~**

Letum turned towards me, twirled the machete, and grinned viscously. _Like what?!_ I frantically thought.

**~Something! Anything! Just get us out of this!!~**

_Oh hell._

She slowly advanced, and extended the machete. "You ready for this?" She asked.

"No." I answered. It was a slim chance, but It might work.

She smirked. "Too bad." She lunged forwards, swinging the machete in an overhand chopping motion.

I jumped to the side, and she missed by an inch. "Do you have to kill me?" I asked.

She tiled her head, as if in thought. "No. But you irk me. So I'm going to do it anyways." She laughed, and chopped at me again.

This time I was slower. I leaped backwards, but the blade caught my left arm, severing a tendon. I hissed in pain, and backed up to the wall.

"Trying to run?" She asked playfully. "No use. I'm going to cut you to pieces!"

I grimaced. "Ex-raider, huh?"

She grinned madly. "Bullseye." And she swung again. Time slowed. **~Fuck.~ Farell cursed. **The flash of steel against the dark. Dark red gushing into the air. Numbness.

The hook caught me in my torso, under my armpit. She pulled slightly, and I screamed. **~Hang in there kid!~ Farell encouraged. **Letum laughed.

"I've hooked your ribs. One yank, and I get to play with you while you bleed out." She laughed maniacally.

Her arm tensed, and time, literally, froze.

**Farell was rigid with fury. ~Nobody. Messes. With. My. Host.~ He hissed. He looked towards me, grinned, and disappeared.**

I felt an intense pain in my spine, and my eyes clouded over. When I could see, I tried to move. I couldn't.

"**You made a mistake, raider girl." **I muttered. _Was that me? Jesus, I sound different. _Of it's own accord, my body twisted. The hook slid out of me, and I spun and hit Letum's jawbone with my left elbow.

_The hell'd I learn that?!_

She started to fall, and before she could hit the floor, I plucked the blade out of the air, and slammed the blade across her neck. **"Tell Satan Farell's coming for him." **I growled.

_Farell!?! Is that you?!_

I grinned. **"The one and only. I'm getting you out of here."**

The next ten minutes were a blur- blood, cracked bones, sticking out of the body, flashes of metal, gunshots, all of it rushed through me. I reveled in the speed of my arms, the strength of my muscles, the adrenaline replacing every blood cell I had.

Many Phantoms littered the corridors behind us. All dead. Farrel's, My hands were coated in blood. A crazy grin on our face. And the bloodlust. The jolt of impact when the blade hit a bone. I-we, loved it.

Farell was panting, after countless kills, and half an hour. **He growled. "How big is this place?"**

He stepped into a room, as we'd been doing for the past while, and we froze. There was a cross.

Stained red-brown with blood.

With Fell on it.

In pieces.

Our body's eyes widened. I shuddered, the rage flowing through me. _Fell was always there. Always. Bullet wound to the stomach, knife to the jugular, she was always fine. Always. And now. SHE'S. __**GONE.**_

**~Kid?~**

I only growled. I thought I was an animal before. And I was. Now I was a beast. The embodiment of Fury. Of Revenge. "_**Occam.**_" I growled. "_**Where?**_"

**Farell just laughed. ~Damn kid. Even I'm scared now. Only place we haven't been is the room across the ha~**

Farell stopped because I sprinted out of the room, leaving him behind.

**~Hey!!~**

I raced into the next room, stabbed a Phantom, and through the wooden door. Occam was there, with his own machete. On it were two engraved words. **Occam's Razor**

"_**Occam.**_" I growled.

"Shift." He stated in a matter of fact tone.

"_**Why?**_" I asked, barely containing my fury.

"Why? Because she was a woman. Because she wouldn't join us. Because it pleased me to do so." He laughed.

I lunged forwards with unearthly speed, and knocked the razor out of his hands. The adrenaline I felt earlier was replaced with a mixture of Psycho, Buffout, and battery acid.

I dropped my machete, and plucked his out of the air. I kicked him in the chest, and he fell backwards over a table. I jumped on top of it, then onto his ribs. I heard them crack.

I hauled him to his feet, shaking with rage. **~Whoa, Shift, you alright?~ Farell asked, concerned. **I shook my head. It was all I could manage. _She was like my sister, almost like a mother back in Ridgefield. I never got to thank her for all she did, keeping an eye out for me as a kid. And now I won't. Because she's __**GONE!!**_

I shoved him to the wall, and swung the machete in an underhand motion, then flicked my wrist. _Shhkt _The hook impaled itself under his chin. He screamed a wordless scream. **~Shift, Shift don't do it, even he doesn't deserve **I planted my foot on his chest **that Shift, nobo **tensed my arm, and **dy does, SHIFT DON-~ Farell stopped there. Because it was too late. **Yanked with all the force in my arm. There was a sickening pop.

Blood splattered all over my face, and I removed my foot. At the hook, there was a jawbone, teeth still in their gums, and the skin from his cheeks. **~Jesus, CHRIST!~**

Occam held his hands up to where his jawbone was, and spoke. "Naym'sh Kylar." He fell to the floor. "Shun."

My eyes widened. _My name. I…I know my name._ For in truth, Shift had forgotten his name after the Incident. _My dad…was. Was._ **~Shift? Shift, you'll be fine. Shift, stay standing man! Shift? SHIFT!~**

I fell over, and heard no more.

_Now you guys may not have liked the twist, but too bad. If you did, then I apologize. And no, Fell wasn't really his mom. Metaphor. Season Two, the Main Plotline, is coming soon. Take the little time it does to review. Enjoy!_

_Q & A –_

_No questions._

_Review Responses –_

_  
None. I'm sad….._

_--_

_Th. Mint_


	12. 12 Thanks

_Hey! Thank all of you for reading, and I've been getting a lot more reviews. I'm going to answer your questions and reviews this chapter. _

_Apathyninja -- -- You find out how Shift escaped from the Incident in Chapter Six. How Fell escaped will always be a mystery, but I will tell you that it involved:_

_A hot air balloon._

_And_

_Ten pounds of bacon fat._

_ZelloJello -- -- Thanks for the kick-ass review. You've nothing but thanks and gratitude from me!_

_Anthony S -- -- Doesn't matter if you're busy, it's fine. Thanks for the review. Keep up the good writing._

_Thanks to you all!!_


	13. 13 End Contract

_Minions one, and minions all! Welcome, to Season Two, of The Survivors. The events of Season Two take place, ironically, two years, and three months after Chapter _____ of Season One. Enjoy._

_I'm going to start writing in Third Person. Tell me of your preferences._

**Chapter One**

**End Contract**

_Oh sweet Jesus. _Kylar thought, staring across the square. He kept gaping at it, and whistled internally. _That's a big one. _

Kylar shook myself from my shock, and jumped over the outer part of the fountain, past the fountain-head, jumped, and tucked into a roll. Jumping up from the roll, he re-trained my Mp5 on the thing's head.

The Behemoth roared past where Kylar just was, swinging a massive fire hydrant. It stopped it's charge just past the fountain, and was about to smash the annoying little thing hurting it's head, when a trio of lasers slammed into it's back.

It roared again, and turned wildly, trying to find the source of it's pain. "Me….smash…human!" It slurred.

Kylar used the opportunity to reload. _Must be the luckiest guy in the Wasteland_. After thinking that, Kylar stopped for a moment, thought it over, and laughed. His first visit to GNR in two years, and it was turning out worst than the first time.

_Thirteen Mutants after me, or a Behemoth? Can't decide which is worse._

The mutant spotted the Brotherhood soldiers by the ruined buildings to the North, and charged them. One of the soldiers wasn't wearing a helmet, not even a recon helmet, which at least offered **some **protection.

She was shouting orders to the others, obviously the leader of the group, towards the rest of them. She turned, shouted some more at an unarmored idiot, and kept firing at the giant.

_Great._ Kylar thought. _Add more people to the slaughter. Those lasers will just burn off skin, but they won't kill the thing._ The gun clicked, and Kylar fed another clip into it. Sighing, he resumed shooting at the Behemoth's head.

_This isn't gonna work. Got to get inside. Higher ground. _He started strafing around to the doors, hoping to get inside, possibly to where the two brotherhood soldiers were sniping from, when Kylar spotted his last good chance at survival.

One of the knights had a Fat Man. Kylar brightened up, and was cheering on the inside. They stood a decent chance now. Kylar tried to draw the mutant's attention now, to distract it from the soldier.

His joy shriveled, and Kylar paled as the giant mutant's arm slammed onto the knight, smashing her against the nearby bus.

_Well. We're screwed._ He hadn't the faintest idea how to work the contraption, being a weapon he'd seen, but never used, and didn't have the time to learn. _Stupid contract._

Kylar pretty much expected to die, right then. _Only a giant amount of luck that the brotherhood would keep the thing distracted enough for us to kill it with __**normal**__ bullets, then we might live. But probably not._

_But then again, I'm not lucky._

Strong-Tall-and Ugly decided to turn around and use Kylar's body as a substitute for a baseball. It roared, and charged. No time to run. Rolling wasn't going to work a second time. Kylar's bullets weren't enough to kill it that fast.

He took option four. Kylar roared back at it, charged, and sled baseball style under it's legs. Now **he **thought this was a good idea, but it turned a little too fast, and Kylar sled into it's foot.

_**Crack.**_ Kylar grimaced. _I think I broke my foot._ Still on the ground, he rolled away, and the mutant roared it's anger at him. It raised the hydrant, and world went black and blue.

_Well that's Chapter One. I hope you enjoy the new season, etc. etc. _

_Please that the thirty odd seconds that it takes to review. Thank you._

_--_

_Th. Mint_


	14. 14 Nukes, Contracts, and Pancakes

_Hey guys and gals! Glad to see me? I am. Well, that doesn't make much sense but….shut up. It's nice to be writing. Here's chapter Two!_

**Chapter Two**

**Nukes, Contracts, and Pancakes**

_**Crack.**_ Kylar grimaced. _I think I broke my foot._ Still on the ground, he rolled away, and the mutant roared it's anger at him. It raised the hydrant, and world went black and blue.

Kylar didn't know what to expect, really. The wonderful world good people went to after you die, according to Catholicism. The hell you went to if you were bad. Nothingness? A new conscious?

But none of those happened, to Kylar's surprise. He blinked a few times, and stood up. _Why am I still alive?_ He thought. He glanced around, and his question was answered.

The Behemoth was lying in pieces all around him, and the idiot without any armor had a Fat Man on the ground next to her.

Kylar grinned. _I suppose I owe Idiot One a thank you._ He walked over to her, and took the time to really look at her. She had black hair, of a medium length. A hunting rifle in hand, and by the way she held it, was probably an above average marksman. Not an expert, though. She was skinny, but Kylar could see the muscle hidden under the surface.

Kylar walked up to the girl,and stuck out his hand to her. "I owe you a thanks. Weren't for you, I'd be a pancake. Maybe a bloody pancake, but a pancake, nevertheless."

Tall eyed him suspiciously, but took his hand. "You're welcome." Kylar turned to walk away, but after a few steps, stopped. He couldn't in good conscience leave this idiot to fend for himself. He sighed, and turned back to her.

Tall was staring at him with a kind of hostility Kylar'd seen before. Suspiscoun. Tall probably thought Kylar'd stab her in the back, maybe rape her, when she turned around. Whichs he did think, actually.

"I'm not usually a curious person. Being a busybody gets you killed in the Wastes. But I have to ask." Kylar stopped, and chuckled. "Why the **hell **are you out wandering Downtown D.C, with nothing but the clothes on your back?"

Tall didn't say anything, she just narrowed her eyes. "None of your business." She growled.

Kylar shrugged. "Fair enough." He turned and walked inside the GNR building, walked past a knight, and up the stairs to the Studio.

"…strangle you with it. This is Three Dog, bringing' you the truth! No matter how **bad **it hurts. And now, for some music." Three Dog said into the microphone. He started a disc, saw me, and walked out of the recording room.

"Hello, Kylar! Been a while hasn't it?" He asked, in his damn sing-song tone. In truth, the guy pissed Kylar off. The Brotherhood was just as biased as the Enclave, if not more so. "What brings you back to the Source of Truth?"

Kylar pulled a small package out of a pocket. "Contract. Whatever it is, I don't care. I fought a Behemoth to get it here, and I expect to be paid. Not weapons. Not information. Cash."

Three Dog sighed. "Alright, alright. No need to tear a hole in the wall. How much was the contract supposed to pay?"

"Thousand caps." Kylar heard the door open, and got an idea. _Damn my soft heart._ "I want a bonus for the Behemoth. Five hundred." He haggled.

"Fair's fair. You saved my baby, and that's worth something." Three Dog pulled out two bags, one with 1,000 on it, one with 500 on it.

"Bye." Kylar said. He headed for the door to the main building, and outside it, he ran into Tall eyes a-blaze. "I. Killed the the Behemoth. Not you. Me." She seethed.

Kylar rolled his eyes. "I know that. That's what this is." He stated. He shoved the Five hundred cap bag into the kid's arms. She opened it, and grabbed Kylar's shoulder, bringing him around to face her.

"The hell is this?" She asked, gesturing towards the bag.

Kylar sighed. "You're green as grass huh? Caps are the cash in the Wasteland. Should get you a fair amount of food, maybe a better gun or two." Kylar nodded towards Tall. "I'd spend night here. Rest, gear up, so on. Night."

He walked towards a Knight. "Any place I can trade here?"

The Knight nodded. "Yeah. Talk to Paladin Errik, he's the guy you want." Kylar thanked him, and walked over to the high ranking man.

"You want something?" Errik asked.

"Yeah." Kylar began. "What've you got? I need to get rid of some stuff I picked up, and I was told to talk to you."

A few minutes later, Kylar walked away, having sold seventy-odd energy cells, a laser pistol, and a fission battery. Kylar walked over to an empty bed, sat down, and started cleaning and checking his guns.

His .22mm Mp5 had gotten nicked when he'd slid into the behemoth, but was otherwise alright. He made sure the belt-brace holster he invented keeping it to his left hip was still tight.

The Tranquilizer Pistol he carried between his back and duster, muzzle facing to the left at a downwards slant, was in a little worse condition. It'd taken a big scratch along the side, but after checking it over a few times, Kylar decided it was in alright condition. He re-arranged the holster so that it was on his right hip.

The nine inch Tanto he carried was strapped to his back as well, the the tip of the sheath pointing upwards and to the left, and he could draw it and disembowel a man in one swift movement. It had happened before.

Neither the sheath nor blade was harmed, so Kylar allowed himself to drift into a deep sleep.

********

_He was wandering around. He didn't know where he was. "Farell." He panted. "Where are ya buddy?"_

_**~I'm here.~ Came a panting voice.**_

"_Good." The figure stumbled. "I-I…don't know..what….to do..Farell."_

_**~How do you mean?~**_

_The man fell down. "She's dead. Other she's dead. He's dead. Dad. Killed. By me. But not Fell. That wasn't me."_

_**The darker figure stumbled, and sat down. ~I know. But what're you gonna do about it? She's….dead! You killed your pops in a horrible fashion. Got revenge, though. They aren't a threat anymore. Or shouldn't be.~**_

He walked over to the man on the ground, who was sobbing. ~Hey. Be strong, and get up. We've got to get somewhere safe.~ 

_**With that, he helped the Crying Man up, and clapped his shoulder. ~Come. Maybe…we should go to Ri-**_

**CRACK!!**

_A gunshot rang out, and the Crying Man started, and checked himself over for wounds. To his relief, there were none. He turned to face the shooter, and almost doubled over in shock._

_**The Dark Man, Farell, had a bullet-hole through his chest, and by the looks of it, through the heart. He looked at Kylar, and mouthed a word before he fell to the ground. ~Run.~**_

********

Kylar woke with a start, and drew his tanto. Sweating and panting, he realized when and where he was, and relaxed. He stood, pulled the duster on, and stretched. He hadn't bothered to replace the hood or shades after his capture.

The Kevlar, he had re-sown in, but the aforementioned objects marked him for who he was. And Kylar wasn't Shift anymore. He was Kylar.

He dug into a pocked, and pulled out some Punga fruit. Kylar took a bite, and allowed the acceptable flavor to wash over his tongue. Of all the food in the Wasteland, Punga was the least dangerous.

He chewed some more, and lost himself to his thoughts. _Then again, Punga fruit's from Point Lookout. Not the Wasteland._ He chuckled to himself, finished eating, and walked towards the door.

_Where now? Not Megaton. Just came from there. I've expanded considerably, and I'm much more known then the last time I visited Rivet City._ Kylar thought this over, and decided that it was a good plan.

Kylar walked outside, destination in mind, cash in his pocket, when he saw something a little shocking.

Tall was waiting on the steps, and upon seeing him, she walked up to him. "You're experienced out here. Right?" Tall asked.

Kylar nodded. "Yes." He knew what kind of talk this was, and this was business talk. Saying 'Yes', instead of 'Yeah', or 'Yup', could make you seem more professional.*

Tall sighed, and ran a hand through her black hair. "Look. I…I'm not very experienced. Out here, I mean." She gestured around us.

Kylar smirked. "Obviously. How you handled the Fat Man was impressive though."

She nodded. "Thanks. But you see, I'm not going to survive out here on my own."

"And your point being…?" Kylar asked.

"Well," Tall began. "I want to, um, hire you. I mean, you're obviously a gun for hire, and you're a good marksman, so…" She trailed off there. "You are a bodyguard, right?"

Kylar cocked his head. She needed some educating.

"First off, I'm not a bodyguard. I'm a mercenary. Get it straight. And second? Most hired mercs just listen to you, protect you from gunfire, until the contract's over. I'm not like that. I'm that and more." Kylar explained. "I'm not bragging, but it's true. But if I do accept, I'd need more details first."

Tall knitted her eyebrows together. "Like what?" She couldn't understand why the merc couldn't just protect her.

"Right. Where are you headed from here?"

"Musuem of Technology." She said. She was looking distractedly over her shoulder, probably anxious to get on the road.

"Alright. Why?" Kylar asked bluntly.

She was about to answer, but stopped. "Why do you care?" She asked, taken aback.

Kylar sighed. _Damn kids._ "I'm not taking the contract until I know more. Why you're going, what your name is, and how much I'm getting paid."

She cracked her neck. "I'm Marisa. And fine, I'll tell you." Kylar had seen this act before. You crack your neck, mabye your fingers, reload, something tough, anything really, when you're telling somebody something you don't want them to know.

"I'm tracking my dad down, and Three Dog knows where he is. He won't tell me until I fix a radio dish at the Washington Memorial. Says there's one in the Museum of Technology, so that's where I'm going. I'll pay you four hundred caps."

Kylar brooded over this. _Four hundred caps to crawl to the Museum of Technology, get a satellite, bring it to the Washington Memorial, hook it up, then back here….but the girl __**did **__save my life. Damn my conscience. _

"Fine, fine. I'll do it." Kylar sighed.

_Chapter Two, and a Vault Dweller for your pleasure! I'm trying to write in the storyline, and by ear no less. Vita est ferreus, tunc vos intereo! Peace!_

_--_

_Th. Mint_


	15. 15 Bloody Hell!

_It's nice to write.  
I don't own Fallout or any of it's content._

**Chapter Three**

**Bloody Hell!**

Kylar brooded over this. _Four hundred caps to crawl to the Museum of Technology, get a satellite, bring it to the Washington Memorial, hook it up, then back here….but the guy __**did **__save my life. Damn my conscience. _

"Fine, fine. I'll do it." Kylar sighed.

********

Many hours later, around eight in the evening, the duo emerged, cautious and weary, from the Mall NorthWest Metro Station. Kylar hadn't been as tired as he was now since an afternoon of boxing with Harkness. Or as sore, for that matter. Or bruised.

"Oohhh." Marisa groaned. "We should stop." Kylar stood up straighter.

"We could keep going, but I'm not an idiot. You aren't as used to the Wasteland Life as I am, or a lot of other people for that matter. You're in no condition to be fighting Super Mutants. C'mon." He beckoned. "We'll spend the night in Underworld."

Marisa stretched, then trudged forwards. "Underworld?" She asked questioningly.

"Yeah. City of Ghouls. Only real safe place for 'em." Kylar informed. Marisa's face gave away that she had no clue what a Ghoul was. Kylar laughed. "You don't know what Ghoul is, do you?"

Marisa looked away. "No." She rolled her shoulders. "What are they? Are they dangerous?"

Kylar cocked his head to the side and back. "They can be, if you get on their bad side. They're two groups of Ghouls. Feral, and Non-Feral. The Ferals will attack pretty much anybody and anything that isn't one of them. Non-Ferals are Ghouls with their minds intact. They're people."

Marisa shot Kylar a confused look. "If they're people, why're they called Ghouls?" She asked. "Why not just call them people?"

Kylar was about to answer, when he crouched and held up a hand. Marisa froze. Kylar unholstered his tranquilizer, and started creeping forwards. "Wait here." He commanded.

Kylar disappeared into the darkness, leaving a frightened Marisa alone. _Great. _She thought. _He's probably going to ditch you. _After thinking that, she shook her head vigorously. _Cut that out. He's all the help you have, and you're nervous enough as is. _

Six nerve-wracking minutes later, Kylar returned. "C'mon. Need to show you something." Marisa's tense shoulders relaxed. "What is it?" She asked.

"Come." Kylar said. He stood up, re-holstered his tranquilizer, and drew his tanto. "You need to see to understand."

Marisa followed the Wastelander, close behind. What the Vaultie saw shook her to the cores. On the ground, a dart sticking out of it's neck, was a..thing. It was smaller than the Behemoth, but easily two or three feet taller than the tallest man.

"What..what the hell is that?!" Marisa spluttered, eyes wide. "Why is it yellow?" She asked, after calming down.

Kylar shook his head. _Questions, questions, and more questions. I should become a professer. _He crouched down, and answered. "It's called a Super Mutant. Ugly sons'a bitches, physically and socially. Steer clear of these guys. They travel in packs of four or five, usually carrying boards, missle launchers, sometimes Assault Rifles. Miniguns or Gatling lasers, if you're unlucky."

He tensed the blade, but relaxed it. "Which I am, just so you know."

Marisa laughed, a light careless laugh. It comforted Kylar. So few laughed now, it was a rare and valued commodity. And even more the better if it was a true and beautiful laugh. _Back to work._ He thought.

Kylar took a bottle of whiskey out of a pocket, and uncorked the top. It was filled with a reddish brown liquid. Marisa gestured towards the bottle. "Please tell me that's not what it looks like."

Kylar shrugged, propped the mutant's neck up, and positioned the bottle under it. "If it looks like a dog dancing on top of a Radscorpion, the it's not what it looks like." Marisa rolled her eyes, and Kylar chuckled. "It's their blood, my friend."

He sliced the tanto across the jugular of the Mutant, and it filled a good half inch of the bottle. Kylar shook the head, recorked the bottle, and put it away. "And why," Marisa asked. "do you do this?"

"Simple. A caravaner dealing in medicine does a certain something to it, which only he and I know, that turns it into a powerful tranquilizer. With that, he plucked the dart out of the Mutant, and stood back up. They walked away from the body, when Kylar stopped.

"Hungry?" Kylar asked. Marisa nodded, and Kylar sat down. He pulled out a small sack attatched to his belt-loop. He opened it, and pulled out some bread looking things.

"Those are?" Marisa asked. Kylar didn't understand her at all. When he left, he waited in the shadows out of sight watching her for two minutes.

_Hmph. Women. Leave them in the dark, and they nearly cry. Show them their first Super Mutant, bleed it dry, and act nonchalant while doing so, she doesn't freak out._

"These," Kylar said, passing one to Marisa. "are Mirelurk cakes. Wonderful stuff." Kylar explained, biting into one. "Very filling too." He added. Marisa was reluctant at first, but devoured it after discovering the crab-like flavor.

"And to answer your question Marisa, Ghouls are Ghouls because they do not look like people. Imagine being you. Now imagine being exposed to lethal amounts of radiation. To most people, this would kill you." Kylar explained.

Marisa rolled her eyes. "Hence the word, 'Lethal'."

Kylar continued. "But, in some cases, if your genetic code is a match for some unknown requisite, you do not die. You become a Ghoul. And how people know you're a Ghoul is quite simple. Your skin sloughs off."

Marisa choked on her food. _He did __**not **__just say what I think he did._ "It what?" Marisa coughed.

"Your skin sloughs off. Bare muscle, some skin, and some hair's all that's left, but that's about it." Kylar explained.

Marisa immediately regretted eating the food. "And…they live like that?" She asked.

Kylar nodded. "Yup. Some of 'em are even alive from before the war." He put the un-eaten food back in the pouch, and stood back up. He exhaled heavily. "Well, come on. UnderWorld's not far."

Marisa jumped up, and started to follow him. "What do you mean still alive?" She asked.

Kylar sighed. "Gah. Know why there's no sickness out here in D.C?"

Marisa shook her head, wondering where this would lead. "No sickness?" She asked.

Kylar sighed again, and nodded. "Yeah. The rads kill off every virus out there. But that's not to say a wound can't get infected. Well anyways, the radiation does a version of that to Ghouls. It extends their lifespan."

Marisa's eyes widened. _Immortality?! I need to get myself exposed to some ra-….right. Might die. Plus no skin…never mind._ She thought on this for a while, walking in silence, when she noticed Kylar staring at her.

"Immortality?" She asked, trying to get the conversation started again.

Kylar snorted. "Hmph. Your lifespan is measured by measuring your HayFlick limit. For most Ghouls, it's a hundred to five hundred years. For the 'lucky' few, they can last upwards of a thousand years."

Marisa whistled. "Thousand years. Woo—ow."

"Would you want to spend a thousand years as a corpse, with people discriminating against you, never looking you in the eye, and no sex?" He asked incredulously? "I thought not."

Marisa shuffled her feet. "I guess not." She murmered. She started walking again, but her way was blocked by Kylar's outstretched arm. "Welcome." He said, sweeping his other head out in front of him. "To UnderWorld."

_There's Chapter Three. Don't really know what so say here….BOINGO BOINGO JIGGLY KNICKERS!!_

_Zellojello – Thanks again._

_--_

_Th. Mint_


	16. 16 Underworld

_Disclaimer – I don't own Fallout 3 or any of it's extensive insane, or confusing content._

**Chapter Four  
Underworld**

Marisa shuffled her feet. "I guess not." She murmured. She started walking again, but her way was blocked by Kylar's outstretched arm. "Welcome." He said, sweeping his other hand out in front of him. "To Underworld."

Marisa looked up and down, taking in the front of the Museum. "So the city's in there?" She asked dubiously.

Kylar nodded, obviously happy. "Yup. This place is like a home away from home for me." He sighed happily, and started towards the doors. "C'mon. I'll introduce you to Willow."

"Willow?" Marisa asked. They neared the escalators, and she could make out a figure in the darkness.

"Yeah. She's the city guard most of the time. She stays out here, waiting and watching for travelers and troublemakers respectively. She's a nice girl, maybe a little rough around the edges, but who isn't?"

Closer and closer, the two finally reached the escalators. "Stop!" A gravely voice from the darkness commanded. "Who's there?"

Kylar walked around the sides, and held out his arms, as if to hug somebody. "Hey Willow!" He called. "Got a guest with me. We need to stay the night."

"Waaitaminit. That better not be who I think it is…" Came the voice again.

"It's me! Kylar! Nice to see me again, right?" He asked, still walking forwards, a cocky grin on his face. Marisa just sighed. She'd heard that tone of voice before, even if it was a little hard to make out from the accent.

She was pissed.

And, accurate enough to Marisa's thoughts, a resounding _**THWACK!! **_echoed out in the darkness. "Oww!! What was that for?!" Kylar exclaimed.

"Shut up and get inside." Willow growled. "Yeah, yeah. I'm going." Kylar grumbled. "Ya see an old friend, and you assault him. Nice to see you too."

Marisa closed the distance to Kylar's side, nodding at Willow as she went by. "I didn't deserve that." Kylar stated.

Marisa rolled her eyes. "Of course you didn't." She said sarcastically.

"But I didn't!" He protested. He really didn't know why Willow was mad at him, and that just confused him even more. _Hmph. Women._

"Anyways. See, this is Underworld." Kylar explained as they walked inside the front doors. "There's a couple other places in the Museum, but if you just go straight forwards, you get into the city."

The couple reached the doors to the city, and walked in. Some passing ghouls looked them over, cautious of what they may or may not start. Marisa shuddered, and took a deep breath.

"What's the matter?" Kylar asked. "Oh, right. You're not used to ghouls. These are probably the first you've ever seen, huh?"

She shook her head. "No. There was a ghoul, Gob, in Megaton. But I didn't ask what he was. I thought he didn't want to talk about it."

Kylar chuckled, leading her upstairs. "Still, I'm sorry for bringing you here, and not somewhere else. You're probably not used to th-" Kylar stopped walking, and smacked himself(Facepalm). "Damnit! I should've taken you to the Hole. Now we have to smell ghoul and pay for room and board." He groaned.

Obviously in a bad mood, he kicked at a laughing ghoul in a wig and red pajamas on the floor. "Move it Snowflake." He growled.

Snowflake started laughing uncontrollably, but rolled to the left slightly. The two walked by. "What's wrong with him?" Marisa wondered.

"Pfft. He's tweaking out on Jet. Now I don't blame him, there's nothing to do in Underworld for him. He's a barber, you see. And there's no hair. So he got himself addicted to jet. Baa--ad habit, let me tell you. And recovering's no picnic either." Kylar advised.

Marisa raised both eyebrows, and shot him a glance. "You speak from experience, don't you." She said.

Kylar nodded. "Yup. Most wonderful stuff in the world, but I don't think you should take any. You're fresh from a Vault, and your body's not as strong as anybody else's." He sighed. "Come. We'll rent a room from Carol."

"Carol?" She asked, walking through a doorway. "Yes?" A raspy voice asked. "How can I help you? Oh, Kylar! It's soo good to see you again!"

"Hey Carol." He answered. "How's it goin'?" he asked. "Ooh," She said, waving her hand dismissively, "I'm fine. Who's this?"

Marisa stuck her hand out, which Carol took, somewhat surprised. "I'm Marisa. Nice to meet you." She said sweetly. "So polite!" Carol gasped. She turned her head to the ghouls eating in the next room. "You could learn a lesson from her!" She turned back to the two.

"Anything to eat?" She asked casually. In truth, she was rather curious about the relationship between the two. And by rather, I mean insanely.

"No, thank you." Kylar said. "Just a room for the night." Marisa's and Carol's eyebrows raised at the same time.

"We're sharing a bed?" Marisa asked.

"You're sharing a bed?" Carol asked.

Kylar laughed. "Aah. Perfect timing. No, no. Just a room for her. I'll be sleeping over there." He gestured to the row of beds against the wall.

Marisa didn't show any reaction, but Carol's shoulders visibly relaxed upon hearing this. "All right then. A hundred and twenty caps for the night." Kylar nodded, and paid her. "We'll be back later." Kylar said, taking Marisa's arm, and leading her back out the door.

"Where're we going?" Marisa asked.

"For drinks." Kylar answered. "More specifically, I want the details on your pre-wasteland life."

Marisa winced. "Ah."

Kylar walked inside another door, and waved to a ghoul standing behind a counter. "Ahzrukhal."

"Aah, Kylar. Welcome back my friend. May I interest you in a drink? Something…stronger?" Ahzrukhal asked.

Kylar, in response, walked around the counter, gripped the ghoul by the collar, lifted him off his feet, and slammed him into the wall. "Shut your mouth."

A ghoul in the corner drew a shotgun, and walked over to Kylar. "Remove yourself from him." He said tiredly.

"Don't worry Charon, I just want to talk with him." Kylar growled. "Isn't that right, Ahz?"

Ahzrukhal grimaced, but played along. "It's quite alright Charon." The ghoul with the shotgun-Charon, walked back to his spot against the wall.

Marisa just walked up to a stool and sat down, watching the scene with interest. She turned to Charon, looking over her shoulder. "So, who're you?" She asked.

"No. Talk to Ahzrukhal." Charon growled.

Marisa gestured to the two, having a heated discussion in whispered tones. "He's a bit occupied right now, so talk to me." She reasoned.

Charon sighed. _Why, oh why, did the attractive smoothskins always have to talk to me?_ "I am Charon. Ahzrukhal's employee."

"Ahuh. I'm Marisa. So, do you have any idea on why Kylar's, eh, talking, with Ahzrukhal?"

Charon sighed again. _Ahzrukhal never said I __**couldn't **__talk to anybody about that, or even not to talk to whatsername. Marisa._ "My employer got Kylar addicted to Jet."

"Aaah. I see. Thank you Charon." She smiled at him. He redirected his attention back to Ahzrukhal, who was now free of Kylar's clutches. "Very well. Drinks on me." Ahzruhkal said through gritted teeth. "Enjoy your stay."

Kylar grabbed a few bottles of whiskey, and walked over to the corner table, out of earshot of everyone, if they were careful. "What was that about?" Marisa asked.

"Oh," Kylar started, "Just ensuring our privacy." He pured himself and her a drink. "Now." He said, taking a sip. "Kindly tell me why you're here, and how you got here."

________________________________________________________________

_Alright! Chapter Four.2. Yeah. Read and Review, please. Takes very little time._

_Q & A/Responses -- --_

_Apathyninja – The Wanderer mentioned in Ch. 4.1 is not The Lone Wanderer. He is an important character though, and eventually, The Lone Wanderer's path and his will meet someday._

_Zellojello – I'm happy that you like the new perspective. _

_Peace!_

_--_

_Th. Mint_


	17. 17 The Hole

_Disclaimer – I don't own Fallout 3 or any of it's extensive insane, or confusing content._

**Chapter Five**

"Oh," Kylar started, "Just ensuring our privacy." He poured himself and her a drink. "Now." He said, taking a sip. "Kindly tell me why you're here, and how you got here."

Many hours, and many drinks later, her tale was finished. Marisa had thrown in a detail or two from her childhood to bring about examples of somebody's character. Butch's pig-headedness for one, or Old Lady Palmer's occasional senility.

Kylar sighed, and stood back up, stretching. "Alright. I believe you." He stumbled forwards, then steadied himself against the wall. "C'mon. Let's get some shut-eye."

Marisa just walked to Carol's, holding herself upright. "This your first time drinking?" Kylar asked.

She shook her head. "No. I used to drink back home." She stumbled, and caught Kylar's arm. "It's just been a while." She explained, and hurried onward. Upon reaching the room, she looked to Kylar to show her where they were sleeping. He opened a screen door, and she flopped down on the bed.

Kylar just sighed, and settled down on the floor. "Night." He muttered before falling asleep, drifting into unpleasant dreams.

********

**CRACK!!**

_A gunshot rang out, and the Crying Man started, and checked himself over for wounds. To his relief, there were none. He turned to face the shooter, and almost doubled over in shock._

_**The Dark Man, Farell, had a bullet-hole through his chest, and by the looks of it, through the heart. He looked at Kylar, and mouthed a word before he fell to the ground. ~Run.~**_

_He jumped up, and ran. He ran, and ran, until he hit the water. He dove in, and swam to the other shore. Which wasn't really the other shore, just slightly more north._

_He saw a shack, and ran inside, all thoughts asides survival aside. He twirled when he got in, checking for people. There was nobody, and he sat down, feeling miserable for himself. _

_He sat there. And he sat there. And he sat there. For uncounted measures of time, he sat there. When he looked up, it was from irritation. There was a light. He stood, and walked over to the refrigerator. _

_There was light, coming from a crack between it and the wall. He heaved the refrigerator out of the way, and he saw a door. He pulled it open, and his mouth fell to the floor. _

_In front him was a door._

_In the shape of a gear._

_With a huge 99 on it in gigantic letters._

_He stepped towards the terminal, where he knew he could get inside. He'd heard of vaults, and how they protected it's inhabitants from the irradiated wasteland. That didn't sound too bad to Kylar right about now._

_His fingers just brushed the terminal when a burst of electricity coursed through his body._

_********_

Marisa groaned, and slowly stood up. "What ti-" was all she could manage before she fell onto her back. She blinked a few times, and then successfully stood up. "What time is it?" she asked.

Kylar was sitting at a chair in the corner, polishing his Mp-5. "Morning." he said cheerfully. He grabbed a piece of fruit from the table. "Breakfast?" he offered.

She nodded, and grabbed the fruit. She eyed it cautiously, then bit into it. "What is it?" she asked, juice dribbling down her chin.

Kylar grinned. "Punga fruit. Healthiest thing in the Wasteland." He put the rag down, and put the gun on his hip. "C'mon." he said. "Time to get going." He grabbed another fruit, and devoured it.

She looked around, then saw an absence of dust on the floor, in the shape of a person. "Oh," she stammered. "I'm sorry. I should've offered you the bed…"

Kylar laughed, and led her out of the room. "Nope. You're the employer, you get priority to everything."

They left Underworld, and the second they got outside, Kylar dropped his cheery attitude. This was business now, and missing a skip would lose you another piece of flesh.

They stalked around the edge of the mall, and south of the pool of dangerously irradiated water. "Where are we going?" Marisa asked. She'd never been downtown before, and she was curious.

"The Hole." Kylar answered.

"The Hole?" She asked. _Doesn't sound like much of a nice place. _"Don't we need to get to the Museum of Technology?"

"Yeah. But you need better arms then what you've got. We're going against hordes of Super Mutants, and all you've got is the .32, right? So, we're going to the Hole."

He walked up to a sewer grate, and pulled off the lid. "In you go." He said, sweeping his hand towards it.

Marisa looked at the filthy pipe skeptically, but crawled in, grumbling about whether or not it's worth it.


	18. 18 Assumptions

_Disclaimer – I don't own Fallout 3 or any of its extensive insane or confusing content._

**Chapter Six**

**Assumptions**

He walked up to a sewer grate, and pulled off the lid. "In you go." He said, sweeping his hand towards it.

Marisa looked at the filthy pipe skeptically, but crawled in, grumbling about whether or not it's worth it.

She stumbled out of the other end, and looked around in cautious wonder. There was a wooden door in front of her. Naturally curious, she stepped towards it. Her fingers were on the doorknob, about to open the door, when Kylar pushed her aside.

"What was that for!?" She asked angrily.

Kylar opened the door, and without stepping in, he threw his tanto through the doorway. Almost immediately after the blade passed the frame, a laser fan flashed through the doorway.

"Sorry." He explained. "But I didn't want you losing an arm or leg. I've rigged this place with traps. I don't want any raiders getting their hands on the stuff in here."

Marisa just stared at the doorway. "Um, alright. Thanks, I guess."

Kylar grinned. "Welcome." He passed through the doorway, and ushered Marisa through. Kylar pressed a button on a machine behind the door, and a high pitched humming echoed through the hall.

"Well," Kylar said happily, nodding towards a door, not unlike a door to be found in a vault. "Let's head inside."

Marisa raised her eyebrows skeptically. "Is this door rigged?" She asked.

Kylar shook his head. "Nope."

"Now you're sure?"

"Positive."

Marisa walked towards it, and got a finger pressed against a button to open the door. "If I die," she said, turning towards Kylar. "I'm going to kill you."

"Right. Now open the door."

Marisa took a deep breath, and pressed the button, expecting a shock, or maybe a blade through her leg.

Nothing.

She walked suspiciously inside, and the second she did, a furry shape tackled her.

She screamed, and rolled into a ball on the floor. But instead of finding tearing teeth, she found a wet nose pressing into her face, and a tongue rasping over her.

"What in hell?" She asked, trying to get up. "Kylar! Get this thing off!" She whined.

Kylar **would **have helped her up. In fact, he wanted to. But he couldn't. He was laughing too hard, tears in the corners of his eyes.

When Marisa finally got off of the floor, she was trying, and failing, to conceal a smile. "And this is?" She asked, petting the white head of the beast.

Kylar crouched down in front of it, and rubbed the sides if it's head. "This is Mozart." Upon hearing his name, Mozart's left ear twitched.

"Mozart? Why Mozart, for god's sake." She asked, throwing her hands into the air. "Well why not?" Kylar asked. "Anyways. This is one of my Safehouses. I don't have an actual **Home, **well, I do, but it's out of the way. So I make do with these."

"These? You mean you have more?" Marisa asked. She looked around, and found concrete walls and ceiling. _Surprise surprise. _There was a bed, and a mat next to it. A refrigerator, a table, and two chairs.

"So, you live here." She said, more a statement then a question. "Sometimes." Kylar answered. "When I'm downtown, otherwise I try and avoid it."

Marisa knitted her eyebrows together. "Why?"

"Well," Kylar started. "For one, there's the countless mutants around trying to tear your limbs off, the raiders trying to eviscerate," Kylar paused. "or in your case rape, our soft fleshy bodies. Oh, and the Brotherhood. Don't forget them. Anyways, I try and avoid this place because it's the worse stocked safehouse I have."

Marisa frowned. "Then why keep Mozart here?" She asked, scratching the dog behind the ears. "The last time I was here, Mozart was with me. He took a serious wound to the leg, so I stimmed him up, and left him to recuperate."

Marisa smiled broadly and pointed at him. "No! You said that this was your first time here in two years." She grinned, triumphant.

Kylar smirked and shook his head. "My first time to G.N.R in two years, yes. But not downtown D.C. Oh no."

Marisa's face lost her smile. "Damn."

"Anyways, that was a couple weeks ago."

"Why'd you go?" Marisa asked.

Kylar stood up, and walked to another door. "Go where?"

"You know, Downtown." She said, following him.

"Oh." He said, opening the door. "Contract. I was supposed to deliver some news to a couple of brotherhood soldiers. Poor guys, really."

"Why? What happened to them?"

"Oh. They got dragged off by some mutants." Kylar said with a wave of his hand.

"Who **are **these Brotherhood people, and why should I care?" She asked, following him into the room.

Kylar sighed, and ran a hand through his brown hair. "They're not the biggest, but they **are** the most powerful faction in the Wasteland. All I know is that I try my best to steer clear of them."

"Alright, if you think so." Marisa said. He had experience out here, and she didn't. She ought to listen to him. "So why are we in here?"

"Hmph. Look around you, you might figure it out." Kylar said. Marisa looked around, and there was a table and a shelf.

Kylar walked up to the table and loaded as much ammo, guns, and small sharp thing of all sizes into his pack. He then walked over to the shelf, going up as high as his hip. "Hmm…"

"What?" Marisa asked. There were bigger guns there, and from what she could gather, a sword. As soon as her eyes settled on it, Kylar picked it up and started fiddling with his Tranquilizer and Tanto.

"I'm closing shop Downtown. It's too far from Home, so I'm not taking contracts Downtown anymore." Kylar re-arranged his Tanto and Tranquilizer so they were on the inside of his duster, and put the sword on his right hip.

"Besides. It's one of the most dangerous places in the Wasteland. Catch." He said, throwing her the last two guns on the shelf, a sniper rifle and an assault rifle.

"So, you're just assuming I know how to shoot a gun." Marisa asked, catching the two guns. She put one down, and started looking over the other.

"You can't? I mean, from the way you shot the Fat Man, I thought…" Kylar started.

Marisa cracked a grin full of white teeth at him. "Of course I know how. Before I left the Vault, I was the weapons trainer. One day, while taking inventory, I found a stash of weapons, more deadly than the usual .10mm."

She put down the sniper, and picked up the assault rifle. "I know what I'm doing." She said reassuringly.

"Then why did you get upset just now?" Kylar asked.

"Because you just _assumed _I knew." She said smartly, strapping the guns to her hip and back.

"I hate you." Kylar muttered.

_There! Chapter…um…six! Yeah._

_Mike bent tone ----_

_*sigh* There are laser rifles, plasma guns, and a miniature nuke launcher. Can't I incorporate some weapons from present day? Or is that too futuristic?_

_Apathyninja --- Thank you._

_Mouse --- You've been reviewing constantly. I appreciate that._

_Zellojello --- Same with you! Oh, and Apathyninja. Didn't mean to forget you._

_Thepinballwizard --- I just have to say that's an awesome name. Thankyewverymuch._

_--_


	19. 19 Babbling

_Disclaimer – I don't own Fallout 3 or any of its extensive insane or confusing content._

**Chapter Seven**

**Babbleing**

"Then why did you get upset just now?" Kylar asked.

"Because you just _assumed _I knew." She said smartly, strapping the guns to her hip and back.

"I hate you." Kylar muttered.

"Uh-huh." She said. "Now, where is this museum?" She asked.

"It's just across the mall. We're going to wait 'till nightfall, so just, I don't know, wait here." Kylar said, plopping down in a chair.

Marisa sighed, and sat down in the other chair. "So we just wait?" She asked.

Kylar nodded. "Yup."

Marisa sighed again, and started drumming her fingers on the table. Kylar got some sugar bombs and started chomping on those.

He offered some to Marisa, which she gladly accepted. After a few minutes of silence, Kylar jumped up and started planting some boxes all around the safehouse.

"Kylar? What're you doing?" Marisa asked. But she did it with a mouth full of cereal, so it was more like; "_Kyluf? Wha'r ye do eng?_"

He smirked. "I'm planting charges. I have a set in each safehouse, in case I ever have to tear it down." He attached another to the top of a doorframe. "Just a precaution."

"Smart." She said. "So. What'd you do before you were a mercenary?" She asked.

Kylar froze for a second, then resumed his work. "Just a wanderer." He muttered bitterly.

The unexpected question opened a cabinet, a maple cabinet, to be precise, with an amazing finish with little ships carved into the drawers, each drawer with it's own ship that-

Oh. Right. Opened a cabinet of unwelcome and unwanted memories.

********

_His fingers just brushed the terminal when a burst of electricity coursed through his body._

_Hours later, he woke up on a table, almost naked with naught but his pants on. "What in the…." He started. He stopped talking, and decided to stare silently at the revolver pointed at his face._

"_How did you get in here?" The man asked._

"_I…I found it. In the shack, there was a light behind the refrigerator."_

_The older man exhaled. "Damnit. What's your name boy?"  
_

"_Sh- Kylar."_

_He looked at Kylar suspiciously, but let it slide. "Fine."_

_********_

"Just a wanderer? That doesn't explain anything at all!" Marisa complained.

Kylar stepped down from the chair he'd been standing on and shook his head. "Case in point. I am Kylar, and I keep my own counsel."

"Why do you always speak in riddles?" She asked.

"Why do you act how you act?" Kylar shot back.

"…What?! What did I do!?" She shouted, taken aback.

"Exactly. You responded like that because that's who you are. Speaking in riddles is part of who **I **am. Better get used to it." Kylar explained.

"Bah." Marisa muttered. "Whatever. How'd you find this place?" She asked, reverting back to her curiosity.

Kylar sighed. "You have as many questions as a radscoprion has poison. I found it by doing what Reily's Rangers, also some unsavory people, do for a living. I explore."

"What's in it for you?" Marisa wondered, desperately trying to keep the conversation going.

"Nothing." Kylar said, planting the last charge.

"Nothing?" Marisa asked incredulously.

"You're deaf? Shame." Kylar joked. He jumped down from a chair he'd been standing on.

"Oh, shut up." Marisa grumbled.

The two still had hours until they were to leave, so Kylar asked more complex questions as to what she did in the Vault. She was the Inventory Taker and Self Defense teacher.

"Sounds boring." Kylar said halfway through her lecture, and she pelted him with a Sugar Bomb.

The two chatted on and off for as long as they could, and when the time finally came, Kylar stood. "C'mon. Time to go."

_I know, I know. This chapter was shorter than usual, but I'll have chapter 20 out soon, I swear._

_AnthonyS – Truthfully, when I read your review, I was jumping up and down screaming and shouting on the inside. Just so you know._

_Apathyninja – Your continued interest in this keeps me running. Well, partly. There's everybody else who reviews (I'M TALKING TO __**YOU**__, PEOPLE WHO DON'T REVIEW.) to think of. But thanks!_

_--_


	20. 20 The Legend Revealed

_Disclaimer – I don't own Fallout 3 or any of its extensive insane or confusing content._

**Chapter Eight  
The Legend Revealed**

The two chatted on and off for as long as they could, and when the time finally came, Kylar stood. "C'mon. Time to go."

Marisa groaned, and stood up. "Finally." She jumped up and down a few times, and took a few jabs at the air.

Kylar just shook his head at her enthusiasm. "Let's see you act so pumped at the Museum."

********

Hours later, the duo emerged, injured and weary, from the museum. The Satellite was substantially smaller than the two had thought. They managed to drag it to the Memorial, where two bigots of soldiers were waiting.

"Halt!" The first one shouted. "This is property of the Brotherhood of Steel. Trespassers will be shot."

The second one waved his hand at the first. "Pfft. They're just Wasters. What're they gonna do? Those bullets can't pierce our Power Armor, not in the time we'd need to take them down."

Kylar stalked up to the second and stared straight through the visor on his helmet. "You have a problem, say it to my face."

The knight unslung a laser rifle, and held it over his shoulder lazily, and Marisa could just imagine the smile on his face. "You're an ignorant Wasteland bastard, born to a mother you never knew, and a father that hated you. You've been kicked out of every town you've been to. That's why you're here, isn't it? The Mall's a death-wish for all Wasters."

Now, the First Knight was appalled at the Second's behavior. He didn't know he was prejudiced against Wastelanders.

Marisa didn't know if what the Second knight said was true or not, and she glanced at Kylar, waiting for a reaction.

A grin spread across his face as he turned the left flap of his coat around, showing the inner part to all.

There was a metal badge on the inside, and on it was Elder Lyons' personal seal; which signified him as a personal friend of the Brotherhood. "Say again? I couldn't hear you over your ignorance."

The second knight spluttered, but Kylar walked past him towards the First Knight. "Did you know he was like this when he joined, Paladin…..?" Kylar said, jerking his thumb towards the Second knight.

"No sir. Paladin Crowell, And how did you know I was a paladin?" Crowell asked.

"I've been around a long time. The way you held yourself was a dead giveaway though." Kylar said, waving his hand. "Anyways, we have a satellite for you."

Crowell took off his helmet and grinned. "You actually have it?" He asked.

"Yep. Marisa!!" He called. "Drag this thing over here." Crowell thought that Kylar was just going to let Marisa do the work, but he walked over and helped carry the brunt of the burden.

They got to the elevator, and Kylar pushed the button. "You wait here." He said to Marisa. "I'll be back soon."

He walked in, and the doors closed, blocking him from view. Marisa sighed heavily. She was starting to get to know Kylar better, and if he was like this all the time, they were in serious trouble.

She noticed Crowell staring at her, and she stuck out her pale hand. "Hi. I'm Marisa." Crowell took her hand, and shook it firmly. "Paladin Crowell. Do you know his name?" He asked after introducing himself.

"Yes, but I don't know much about him. All I know is that he's a mercenary, and his name's Kylar." She said.

Crowell's eyes widened. "Kylar? And you're sure?" He asked.

"Ah-uh. Why?" She wondered.

"That's _**Kylar**__**Whitlock**_. He's legendary. It's said tha-" Crowell started, but was interrupted by the second knight.

"**WHAT?!! **Are you telling me I just insulted Kylar-**FUCKING**-Whitlock?!" He cried.

Crowell grinned. "Yeah, that's what we're telling your sorry ass. Go crawl under a hole, before he kills you." He turned his attention back to Marisa, who was waiting patiently. "It's said that he been to every place in the Wasteland, is friends with a F-critter, knows how Super Mutants are made, _and,_ It's rumored that he took down a coven of Assassins."

Marisa gawked while all this was said, but she had to ask, even though she knew Crowell would continue. "What's an F-Critter?"

Crowell stopped, and shook his head. "Right, right. Those things are hard to find. Imagine a wolf. Now imagine it with the speed of a Deathclaw, reflexes the speed of lightning, and a thirst for blood that shames a Behemoth."

Marisa kept a straight face as she was told all this. _Oh my god._ She realized. _Mozart is an F-Critter._ She looked back up Crowell, who was continuing his rant.

"—ws a deadly secret of the Enclave that could bring them crashing to their knees, but he's never told a soul. He's never failed a contract, not once. He can shoot the fingernail off of a raider at two-hundred yards, and what brings that all down to nothing, and I mean disgraces It all." Crowell said, trying to add suspense, which was actually working,

"There's only three things that he knows and hasn't told **anybody.** One, his past. It's cloudier than a foggy night in the bogs of Point Lookout. Two, where he gets his weapons. The tech he has, it puts the Enclave to shame."

"Then there's three, and this goes as a warning; Never, ever, piss him off. You can make him angry, sure. But for the love of all they you hold dear, don't piss him off."

"Why not?" Marisa asked, confused. "What happens?"

"I don't know for sure." Crowell confessed. "But I saw part of it once. Once, and I'm thankful that was it. I rounded a corner in the mall, and there was this dead girl, with a shattered spinal cord."

Marisa listened, enraptured. "It was a super mutant for sure, but after I looked at her, I saw Kylar. He was splattered in blood, all over his hands, arms, and face. He was holding that Tanto of his, and this is what made my blood run cold. Not the fifteen, yes, fifteen mutants on the ground, but the grin on his face."

"It looked like he was smiling."

A voice rang out from behind the pair. "Actually, I've failed one contract. And it's the _mosquito _on a raider at _three-hundred _yards. And the last thing, no comment."

The two spun around to see Kylar leaning against the wall, twirling his Tanto between his fingers. He did it so causally, that the two couldn't help but stare.

This went on for thirty odd seconds before he flipped it down into it's sheath. Kylar started to walk away. "C'mon Marisa. We're heading back to G.N.R." He nodded towards Crowell, and raised an eyebrow at the second knight, who retreated back towards the Memorial.

They were a short ways away, when Kylar stopped and turned around. "Crowell!!" He called.

"Yeah?!" He replied.

"Tell anyone what you just told Marisa and I will hunt you down." Kylar said, dead serious. "Just so we're clear!!"

Marisa walked alongside Kylar in silence, before asking the inevitable question. "How the **hell **did you shoot a mosquito off a raider?"

_I hope you two enjoyed the hilarities that ensued in this chapter, along with a peak at Kylar's life between the Fall of the Phantoms and Current Day._

_Zellojello – What happens next….hmm….sorry. You've got me stumped._

_Apathyninja – I'm happy that you're interested in the plot, and that apparently my Godlike writing talent is becoming more and more refined. Thank You._

_--_

_ ._


	21. 21 Gray Stranger

_Disclaimer – I don't own Fallout 3 or any of its extensive insane or confusing content._

**Chapter Nine  
**

The duo walked in silence for a short while before Marisa couldn't help herself. After all, she'd thought she was traveling with your average mercenary with a bloated ego, lots of know-how, and a stunning vocabulary.

But, as it turns out, she's been traveling with a famous, as he referred to himself, Contractor. She'd been asking him questions on and on and on.

"Who're the Enclave?"

"Are they like the Brotherhood?"

"What's the difference between the two?"

"What was that stuff they were wearing?"

"How'd you get so famous?"

"How did you tame Mozart?"

"Was it hard?"

"How old are you?"

"Who were the Assassins?"

"How much of this stuff is true?"

Kylar let out an aggravated sigh. "If I answer you, will you be quiet?"

Marisa nodded enthusiastically. "Yes! Okay, now answer!" She was bouncing on the balls of her feet, waiting for answers.

Kylar stopped walking, and ran a hand through his brown hair. "The Enclave claim to be the remnants of the U.S government, and they, with the exception of myself, have the most advanced technology in the Wasteland."

"The Brotherhood and the Enclave are similar, but very different too. The Brotherhood also claim to belong to the U.S government, but claim to be the military. They formed the Brotherhood of Steel, and are dedicated towards finding and preserving all technology."

"Well, at least that's what the Brotherhood out West is. When they reached the Wasteland, this sect of the Brotherhood decided that the Super Mutants were too much of a threat, and needed to be stopped. They've spent a long time here in D.C."

"Both of the two are forces to be reckoned with, and they wear the best armor around. It's called Power Armor, but the Enclave have more advanced weapons and gadgets."

At this point, Kylar sat down on a nearby bench, and pulled out some food. "Want some?" He asked. Marisa just nodded, and the two ate while Kylar continued his story.

"Fame? Well, that's easy. All you need is a lot of time out here in the wastes, and if you're not careful, like me, your name gets around."

"Well, what about Mozart? If he's really an F-Critter, how'd you tame him?" Marisa asked through a mouthful of Punga Fruit.

Kylar chuckled, and involuntarily brushed the scar on his right hand, a bone white scar that went from the spherical bone in your wrist to the knuckle of his index finger. "All I'll say is that it took a lot of patience, four Yao Gaui steaks, and lots of Med-X."

"As for my age, well, that's none of your damned business, is it?"

Marisa feigned a shocked expression, but it disappeared as soon as she took another bite of the fruit.

"A lot of the stuff you hear it true, but take it with a grain of salt. In backwater areas, and even in cities, the truth gets mixed with what people want to be true."

Marisa pointed her finger in the air, swallowed the fruit in her mouth, and a triumphant grin broke out over her face. "You're avoiding a question!" She exclaimed.

"Tell me about the Assassins." She said, folding her hands patiently.

Kylar jumped to his feet and started walking away. "Never ask me about that again." He muttered darkly.

******

The pair walked in an uncomfortable silence for quite a while, and upon reaching G.N.R, the two walked wearily inside. Kylar told Marisa she could rest while he talked with Three Dogg.

He walked up to the recording studio, but was stopped by a Knight. "You can't go in there." He explained. "He's on air."

Kylar sighed, and stood waiting. The knights here had gotten word that Kylar was in the area, and were thunderstruck to know that he'd been there without their knowledge.

Through the door, he could hear Three Dogg preaching.

_ "—ildren! And how are we this fine irradiated morning? Well, however fine you may or may not be, I've got big news! You all know that dog of a mercenary Kylar Whitlock. He came by a while back, maybe a few days ago."_

Kylar liked and hated Three Dogg for that. He just gave away where he was, but didn't include whether or not he'd had time to leave.

_ "Anyways, there's more to it than just a friend visiting. You all know about Miss One-Oh-One, and how she's searching for her long-lost daddy. Well, as it turns out, she's hired this Grey Stranger to help her find him! How about that for co-" _

The broadcast was interrupted by Kylar walking into the room. He knew very well that he was endangering himself, and Marisa by giving away their location, but he didn't have a choice.

"_**Do not speak of my doings without my consent Hound. Or my wrath will be terrible." **_Kylar growled, less Kylar than some other man, long dead.

_********_

_The old man just stared silently at Kylar, wondering what to do. He couldn't kill him, he'd never been a murderer. He couldn't turn him loose, that was for sure. He'd seen many kinds of people, and Kylar had the look of a tortured soul._

"_What're you running from?" He asked. "I heard some gunshots a while ago, and it isn't safe for a young'un like yourself to wander the Wastes alone."_

_Kylar was still lying on the table, staring up at the ceiling. "I wasn't alone."_

"_Oh?" the Old man asked. "Really? Who were you traveling with?"_

_Kylar tried to smile, but failed miserably. His head lolled to one side. "He..wasn't real."_

_This confused the Old man. "He wasn't real?"_

"_I'm..what do you call it.." Kylar trailed off there, trying to remember what Occam had told him._

"Having a morning case of Schizophrenia?"

"_Schizophrenia. I have schizophrenia."_

_He gaped at the younger man, and started laughing. "Well, damn! Most Wastelanders don't know Insanity from the Flu, but you know what you got. Who's your friend?" He asked, looking around the room._

"_He died." Kylar said miserably. _

_The old man stopped laughing immediately. "I'm sorry." He said. "Really, having somebody die is a great loss. But, if he's not real, how did he die?"_

_Now, Kylar didn't know this either. But, in Kylar's sub-conscious, a bullet matched with a person equals death, or a serious injury. Seeing Farell shot through the heart, or near it, had effectively killed him, and banished him to the farthest corners of his consciousness._

"_I don't know."_

_********_

Three Dogg jumped, and shut off the recording. "Damnit Kylar! Don't sneak up on me like that!" He let out a deep breath, and shook his head. "Now, why are you scaring my children like this?"

"Because, you're endangering my employer, not to mention myself. Now shut your mouth, before I have to." He said slowly.

Three Dogg was about to say something, but thought better of it, and shook his head.

"Fine, fine. I'll stop talking about where you've been, and what you're doing. "Happy?" He asked.

"Very. And so should you." Kylar said, reaching for some Brahmin jerky. "The entire Wasteland just got your recording."

It took a moment for Three Dogg to realize what Kylar'd just said, but when he did, he jumped into the air. "You did it, my baby's back on the air!" he cried happily.

He kept spouting things like, 'The good fight can be fought again,' and all that crap. But he remembered something, and stopped his rant. "What did you do to the girl." He asked in a low voice.

"Her?" He asked, gesturing towards the door. Marisa stood there, silently watching with a smirk on her face. "She hired me."

"Surprise." She said sweetly. "Now pay up. Where's my dad?"

Three Dogg looked back and forth between the two. Now, he could've given the girl wrong directions, or make her do another errand. But, unfortunately, she was working with Kylar, and he didn't like to be double-crossed.

But Three Dogg wasn't that kind of guy..

"Alright, alright, relax. I was about to tell you. Now, your dad come in here a fe-" he started to explain, but Marisa cut him off.

"I don't want your life story. Where, is, my, dad?" She said, fingering her sniper rifle.

Three Dogg laughed nervously, and raised his hands. "Hey, hey, relax! Long story short,"

"Better be damn short." Marisa threatened.

"Your dad left here to go to Rivet City." He said quickly. "Alright?"

Kylar's face fell. "Damn." He muttered.

Marisa turned to him, concerned. "What's wrong?" She asked.

"I'm not exactly welcome in Rivet City at the moment." He said, raising his shoulders slightly, with the barest hint of a smile.

"Why the fuck not?" She asked.

"Well, I've been called a lot of things. Gray Stranger," He glared pointedly at Three Dogg. "Jackass, Wanderer, **Theif**, Gun-For-Hire, Merce-"

He would've gone on, but Marisa interrupted him. "Theif?" She cried. "A thief!? Well, fuck!" She shouted. "Now what do we do?"

Kylar turned to Three Dogg and asked him the date.

"Oh, I'd say November…fourteenth? Fifteenth? I don't know, around there." He said with a wave of his hand.

Kylar clapped a hand against his knee, and stoop up. "Right. Instead of going straight to Rivet, we'll make a detour. We go to my Home, which is on the way, actually, and wait there for a few days. By the time we leave, and the time it takes to get there, nobody'll be mad at me." He said happily looking around the room.

"Well, besides Madison." He said, tilting his head to the side. "Now! Let's get some sleep Marisa. We're spending the day here, and I want out before another Behemoth finds it's way here." He walked out of the room, found a bed, and slept.

Neither Marisa, Three Dogg, or the Brotherhood Knight at the door could tell if he was joking.

_Alright people, here's a long awaited chapter. It's 4:20 right now, (Heheheh) and I had inspiration, so I'm happy to get this chapter out. This story is my current main concern._

_Peace._

_--_


	22. Table of Contents

Good Morning, Afternoon, or Evening. Whoever you are, whenever you are reading this, you are doing one of three things.

Checking the Table of Contents, possibly to see where a new season begins.

Reading the story from the beginning, or just the first season. (My worst work)

Or, you could be loading the story to go to a later chapter.

Whichever way you decide, it matters not. You are here, reading my works. But remember.

Two wrongs don't make a right, but three rights make a left.

Chapter 2 to 11 is Season 1.

Chapter 12 to Chapter…whatever it is at the moment, is Season 2.

Season 1 is about the Main Character's past, and what led him to who he is now.

Season 2 is current events, following a twisted main plotline.


	23. 23 And an Old Flame

_Disclaimer – I don't own Fallout 3 or any of its extensive insane or confusing content._

**Chapter Ten  
**

Marisa had spent the last hour trying to find a way to the roof, and with no held from the Brotherhood, she had to do it on her own. She gazed off, into the distance, just admiring the Wasteland.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" A voice asked behind her.

She spun, and had her Assault Rifle pointed right at Kylar, who, by the way, didn't even flinch. She re-holstered the gun. "Yes. Yes it is." She sat down on the edge, feet dangling over.

"You should be more careful." Kylar cautioned. "Coming from you? Thanks, but no thanks." She said sarcastically. "Don't blame me when you fall to your death." He said, joining her. "Or for mine."

The two sat in silence for a while, just enjoying a friend's company, and the horizon. The sun started to lower, and Marisa got more and more worried. "Kylar?" She asked in a small voice. "What's happening?"

He looked at her, and realization dawned upon him. "Ooh, right. You've never seen a sunset. Well, you know about Space, the Earth is round, revolving around the Sun, right?" He asked.

She just nodded.

"Well, when the Earth rotates to a degree before it's night, but after the day, it's called dusk, or twilight. The sun's rays come in at an angle, and they color the sky beautifully. Just watch."

They did, and the more the sky changed color, the more tightly Marisa clutched Kylar's hand. Once it had passed, and twilight had come upon them, Marisa asked him a question. "How do you know so much?" She asked.

"I mean, not to insult you or anything, but you're just a Wastelander. How do you know this stuff? Back in the Vault, we learned that stuff after years and years of school."

Kylar winked, and stood up. "You'll find that out when we get to my house." Marisa sighed, and followed him down.

********

Hours later, in the middle of the night, Kylar couldn't sleep. It wasn't that he was already rested, but that his thoughts were tearing across his mind almost too fast to understand.

The first and foremost were along these lines;

…_Causing trouble…remembering buried memories…going soft....dam nit. She's far more trouble than she's worth. I should leave her. Yes. Go over the Contract, find a loophole._

"I'm tracking my dad down, and Three Dog knows where he is. He won't tell me until I fix a radio dish at the Washington Memorial. Says there's one in the Museum of Technology, so that's where I'm going. I'll pay you four hundred caps."

He went over and over those words. He remembered them because they were his contract, and one always needed to know what their contract entailed.

But he couldn't find a loophole. The words at the beginning, "I'm tracking my dad down," were the most important. Kylar doubted Marisa meant that he had to help her find her dad, but you never knew.

He looked over the common room to see Marisa's sleeping form, calm and at peace. He felt happy, happy that somebody could be so content with just finding their relatives.

And with that he fell asleep.

********

Early in the morning, Kylar woke up, sweating and panting from a nightmare. He glanced wildly around the room, as if trying to make sure he was where he was. It wasn't until he wiped the sleep out of his eyes that he realized Marisa was staring at him.

"Umm...Kylar? Are you alright?" She asked concerned.

"Yeah. Yeah. I'm fine." He said slowly, blinking. He stood up, and stretched. After shaking the sleep out of his muscles, he went over his weapons, food, and clothes.

His duster had found itself a small tear in the left armpit, and one on his back. A chunk of mole rat meat had gone bad, so he tossed it onto a nearby fire. It didn't smell good, but it burnt for a long time.

His weapons were in as good condition as they had been when he'd left G.N.R the last time, so he shouldered his things, and lead Marisa to the door.

"Where did you find all this stuff?" Marisa asked. "A tranquilizer pistol? A fancy knife like that? An M-"

"It's a Tanto, Marisa." He said tiredly. "A Tanto."

"It's sharp, and causes pain and lots of blood. It's a knife." She said. Three Dogg had decided to walk down for breakfast, when he saw the duo at the doors. "What?!" he cried. "Leaving so soon? Why do you come and go like this?"

"I can't stand your company." Kylar explained. "Nice seeing you!" The two then walked out of the building, leaving a slightly startled Three Dogg in their wake.

********

Author's Note: I hate, **HATE**, subways and D.C. So if the story lead the GS and LW through a non-story related tunnel, expect it to be gone.

********

"I can't see why we have to keep going." Marisa complained doggedly. They had been walking for hours, and were somewhere around the Chryslers Building, and heading steadily South.

"What?" Kylar asked over his shoulder.

"Why can't we stop? We've made it out of Downtown, and then some, _and _it's getting late. Shouldn't we stop for the night?"

Kylar stopped walking, and looked back East. "We can't." He said slowly.

"We can't? Why the hell not?" Marisa said irritably.

"We're being followed." Kylar whispered. "Get down. Shit."

"By who? Or what?" Marisa asked. She unslung her sniper, and took up a prone position.

"That's up to you to find out." Kylar said, loading his Mp-5. "You're the one with the Sniper, you figure it out."

Marisa was about to protest, but bit the words back. She sighed, and steadied herself. When she was about to look through the scope, she noticed small words on the sides of the gun.

"Hmm. Victory." She murmured.

"Say something?" Kylar asked.

"No…just noticed something."

"Something important, I hope?"

"No, not really."

"Ah. All right then.

"……."

"Mind finding anything out about our pursuer?"

"Right, sorry." Marisa peered through the scope, surprised to find the world in a kind of green glow. She jerked her head backwards, and mouthed a question to Kylar.

"Oh, right. Night Vision. It takes a little getting used to." He said apologetically. Another brief pause ensued, and he gestured to the approaching figure. "Take your time, I've got all night!" He said sarcastically.

This was true, as night descended quickly on the Wastes of D.C. Moments ago it was light enough to see the horizon. Now, only to a few hundred feet in front of you.

"Sorry." She said again.

For the second time, she peered through the scope, and fought back an impulse to jerk away from the odd sight. She started describing the figure as she saw it more clearly.

"It's a man, first of all."

"Damn." Kylar swore. "They usually fight harder."

"I'll ignore that." Marisa snapped. "He's wearing some kind of armoured suit…oddly familiar."

"Some kind of pistol, not heavily armed." She said comfortingly.

"Well, that's good." Kylar said softly. "Makes my job easier."

Marisa shot him an annoyed look, and went back to her observations. "He's very…pale. Not very exposed to the sun. He reminds me of somebody I kne-"

Marisa gasped, for two very important reasons. The first;

She had an idea of who this was, and was very shocked.

The aforementioned figure had just started shooting at them.

"Motherfucker!" Kylar muttered, taking aim at the man who'd just fired a bullet past his hear, with more on it's tail.

Marisa grabbed Kylar's arm, stopping him from taking the shot. "Marisa, what the fuck are-"

"Don't shoot him!" She begged. She was clawing at his clothes. "Don't kill him, don't! You can't!" She almost cried.

Kylar looked down at his employer in confusion. She'd never been in a state like this, not once. Her being in this state, and his employer, he decided to listen to her.

He dropped the gun on the ground, and fired a single shot at the figure in the distance with the tranquilizer.

The figure dropped to the ground.

Marisa was nearly frantic. "Ohmygod ohmygod ohmygod." She was hyperventilating, and panicked. "Marisa!" Kylar shouted, ignoring the fact that he was endangering them all. "Marisa! Get ahold of yourself!"

Despite his best efforts, she was still hysterical. Kylar stopped trying to appease her, and groaned. "Tourists." He muttered bitterly. He picked the automatic weapon from the floor, and fired a shot past Marisa's ear.

She stopped moving, and stared at Kylar. Moments later, rational thought was enabled in her mind. "Kylar…I…it's just that.." She trailed off there and started walking towards the downed man.

"I know, I know." He said slowly. "I don't know why you flipped out like that, but you had a damn good reason."

The two reached the unconscious man, and Marisa almost broke into tears right then and there. Kylar watched her like a hawk as she ran up to the man, and got onto her knees next to him.

She brushed the back of her hand across his cheek. "Micheal."

* * *

There's Chapter 10 for you all! I'm extremely sorry for the long wait, and am working avidly on the next Chapter.

Review Responses

Mike bent tone -- *raises hands* Alright, you caught me. I read that trilogy four times, ans is my favorite series ever. (Night Angel Trilogy, first book is The Way of Shadows) I've been meaning to look for names that I like, and I've come across one or two that stand out, but Kylar just kicks **ASS.** Shift's name before the Incident was Kylar, but he forgot it and named himself Shift. Glad you liked my work.

Peace.

--


	24. 24 Burns

_Disclaimer – I don't own Fallout 3 or any of its extensive insane or confusing content._

**Chapter 11  
**

"Oh, Michael." She whispered. "What are you doing here?"

Kylar knew who this 'Michael' guy was, but not how he got here. Michael was an old friend of Marisa's, and during her recounting of her years in the Vault, she told him of his odd behavior.

_********_

_Marisa yawned tiredly. They had been in the Ninth Circle for almost an hour, and she had just reached her life at Michael's behavior around her.._

"_Well, Michael was my best guy friend. Amata was definitely first, but Micheal was always more comforting. He was always there when I got into a fight with my Father, or with Amata. He always knew how to cheer me up, and how to make me smile." She smiled bitterly after that._

"_He reminds me of you, only he's not as, well, morbid, cynical, or combat ready. But I'm not comparing the two of you!" She said quickly. "No! Anyways, I think he liked me more than I liked him. He always asked me to the Vault Dances, and after we took the G.O.A.T, he asked me if I'd consider him as a husband."_

_Kylar didn't know it then, but the odd feeling he felt was raw jealousy. Marisa continued. "I didn't know what to think then. I always liked him more than a friend, and we'd dated once or twice, but I never thought of him like that. I told him with a smile I would, and I did, but I never answered."_

"_He approached me once or twice and I answered honestly. I didn't, and don't, know if I liked him that way, and wasn't sure if this was the best. The first time I said that he got upset. He thought there was another man, but I assured him that all of the other boys in the Vault were too immature. Which they were. And probably are."_

_********_

But Kylar wasn't an idiot. If you were an idiot, you died, most likely slowly and painfully. Michael didn't like, he _worshipped_, Marisa. Instantly at hearing his name, arrows of jealousy ripped through Kylar.

He wrestled down these feelings, and took a deep breath. "Marisa." He said. She was still worrying over Michael. "Marisa, we have to go."

She looked up at him in horror. "What!?" She almost shrieked. "We have to go. Night in the Wasteland is just as dangerous as an afternoon Downtown. We have to leave. C'mon." He said hurriedly.

"But, but Kylar! We can't just leave him here!" She wailed. "He'll die here. Alone, and in the cold…." She stared down at his body miserably.

Kylar held his breath, though he wasn't aware of it. "Damn my soft heard." He cursed. "Help me carry him. Take an arm." Marisa's eyes light up, and took an arm eagerly. "Where are we going from here?"

"I saw a fire about a mile back." Kylar said slowly. "They're not raiders, because they covered the fire when we passed by. We'll go there."

"How do we know they won't be hostile?" Marisa asked.

"Do you want to save Michael or not?" Kylar snapped. "Now come on. We have to move fast."

And they did. It took them around five minutes to cover the half mile, and when they neared the fire, they heard the cocking of a gun.

"Freeze smoothskin." Came a gravelly voice.

"Relax." Kylar said quickly. "We're not looking for trouble. Our…friend, you could say, is unconscious. Can we spend the time here? Until he wakes up, I mean."

Three ghouls came out of the darkness. "How can we trust you?" One of the said. This one was missing an ear, and one of his hands.

"I'm Kylar Whitlock. That's how." The three ghouls' eyes widened. One of them just dropped his gun, and sat down. The second nodded to him, and sat besides the first. The third greeted him with a handshake, which Kylar returned.

The two obviously knew each other, and they were engaged in a conversation before the second was up. "Uh, Kylar?" Marisa asked slowly. "Michael?"

Kylar looked up. "Him? Oh, yes, yes. Him." He sighed, and ran a hand through his hair. "Damn. This isn't going to be pretty." He took out his Tanto, and handed a stimpack to Marisa. "Get this ready." He said.

"Inject it into his neck on my mark. Got it?" Marisa nodded. Kylar flipped the knife a few times, and then sliced across Michael's jugular in one deft motion.

Marisa cried out, and started to administer to her wounded friend. But instead of saving his life, Kylar's hand shot out and grabbed her wrist. "Don't." He said with authority.

"But he's dying!" She protested. She tried again to plunge the stim into him, but Kylar held fast. "No, he's not." Kylar said calmly. "The sedative is deep in his bloodstream. The only way he'll wake up within the hour is if we bleed him. I'll get some more plasma in his bloodstream when I get home."

The blood poured out for several more seconds, when Kylar released Marisa. "Mark." He didn't have to. Marisa had already plunged the healing agent into him, and wound closed almost immediately.

Micheal moaned softly, and was visibly more pale. "Micheal." Marisa breathed in relief. "He's going to be okay?" Marisa asked eagerly. "Much to my eternal regret, yes." Kylar said bitterly.

Marisa was taken aback. "Kylar!" She exclaimed. "What is _wrong_ with you!" Kylar laughed. "I've another idiot vaultie on my hands. Would you be happy?" Marisa's mouth dropped slightly. "Thought not. See the pistol he's holding?" He asked.

She picked it up, and inspected it thoroughly. "What about it?" Kylar shook his head. "It has no spread. None, whatso-fucking-ever. If he'd aimed at me, since we weren't that far apart, he could've hit me easily."

"But, he aimed to the sides, and missed us completely. He knows _less_ than shit." Kylar finished. Marisa bit her lip, and glanced back down at him. Kylar sighed, and he knew what he had to say. "But, in the end, this was the right thing to do. He might be able to help us somehow on the way to Rivet, and from then on."

Marisa glanced up at Kylar, and started to mouth a question. Kylar snorted, and shook his head. "I'm expecting that you'll want to bring him with us. You being my employer means I have to listen to you. That's why I tranqued him, actually."

Marisa was going to respond with some witty comeback, but it died in her throat. All she could manage was a heart-felt smile, and a hoarse "Thank you."

At this point, our Vaultie Numero Dos decided to wake up. He blinked a few times, and then stared into the unending night sky. It had grown pitch-black, and he was facing away from the fire.

"So this is the afterlife?" He said quietly. Nobody knew who had said it, and while they were all looking at each other, Micheal sighed. "Well, fuck."

Kylar realized first who was talking, and he shook his head. "You're not dead. Not on my watch you're not."

Micheal whipped around to face Kylar, much to his regret, because his head started swimming. He groaned, and held his head in his hands. "What the…who the hell….oooh, my aching head."

Marisa was about to speak, when Kylar silenced her with a glance. He shook his head ever so slightly. Marisa understood. He was probably in shock. Best to let an expert figure it out.

"Micheal, you're friends with one Marisa Trespick, are you not?" Kylar asked softly. Upon hearing this, Micheal froze, and turned, slowly, to stare at the legend.

"What did you say?" He whispered.

"You know, and grew up with, Marisa Trespick, didn't you?" Kylar repeated.

Micheal staggered to his feet, and steadying himself on the burning barrel, he grabbed the front of Kylar's shirt with his other hand.

"I don't know who the fuck you think you are, but if you don't tell me all you know about Marisa, I swear to god I'll kill you." He growled.

Marisa, again, was going to interfere, when another slight shake of the head warned her to be silent.

"Well, Mike! Where shall we begin?" Kylar said cheerfully, nonchalantly grasping the hilt of his nine-inch tanto.

"Where. Is. She." He snarled, half-feral.

"Well, you see Mike-O, we met up a little while ago. She hired me to help her out in the Wastes, and I agreed. Plus, she saved my life, so I felt that I owed her something."

"Not bad to look at either." He added thoughtfully. Micheal's face transformed into a look of pure hate. "What did you to her!?" He half-screamed half-shouted.

"Well, if you want to find her, you might want to turn around." Kylar said, gesturing behind Micheal.

"Nice try, scumbag. I'm going to tear the shit out of you." He raised his other hand, and swung with all of his regained strength. Marisa gasped, but unfortunately, it didn't register to Micheal's brain.

The fist was intercepted by what seemed to him like a steel vice, and was redirected past Kylar's left shoulder. The next second, another blow, an iron block slammed in an uppercut, slamming his jaw shut.

In actuality, Kylar's right hand came up in what Marisa later described as a blur, grabbed Micheal's wrist, pushed it away, and used his elbow to inflict some pain.

Kylar took a step back, and gestured again. "She's really right behind you." He nodded to Marisa, and she rushed to Micheal. "Micheal, it's so good to see you again!" She hugged him from behind, and he whirled to find her clutching him desperately.

"Marisa….you're actually okay!" He grabbed around her torso, and held her tightly. They stood that way for a while, before Marisa released him. Micheal let go reluctantly, and took a step back.

"So who's this guy?" He asked, tilting his head to Kylar.

"Oh, right! Allow me to formally introduce you two." She grabbed Kylar's right arm, and Micheal's left, and dragged the two of them within kissing distance. "Kylar, meet Micheal, my childhood best friend, and amazing comfort. Micheal meet Kylar, my bodyguard and Wasteland L-"

Kylar held his other hand up to her mouth. "That's for me to tell people, not you." He said bitterly. "Now come on. The ghouls left when our big friend," He really was big. Micheal had blond hair, large muscles, and was 6 foot 3.

"woke up. So, seeing as it's night, and we have to travel the outskirts of D.C, we should travel quickly and quietly."

"What's so bad about the Outskirts of D.C, and shouldn't you be doing what _Marisa _tells you to, not the other way around?" Micheal challenged.

Kylar sighed, and turned to the large man. "Look. D.C is infested with Super Mutants, about three feet taller, and broader, than you. You can't get through without running into a lot of the bastards. I wouldn't take any order from anyone to go through there."

"The outskirts are almost as bad. Super Mutants are always trying to make their way out of D.C, and the only defense is the occasional Raider, and the Brotherhood. I'm sure as hell not going to hand you two over to them, so we have to go now, double time."

"I've taken his advice on everything so far, and I'm still alive. Come on Micheal." Marisa said. He groaned, but started following Kylar, who was now a good twenty yards away from the two.

After around ten minutes of walking, Micheal broke the silence. "Hey! Bodyguard! Who the hell is the Brotherhood!?"

_Not fucking again. _He turned on his heel, and walked up to him. "Ask Marisa to tell you when we get Home." He growled. "Oi!" Micheal shouted. "You answer to us, got it?" He grabbed Kylar by the lapel of his duster, and pulled Kylar closer to him. "Got it punk?"

Kylar looked boredly down at Micheal's hands, then back up at him. "You have four seconds to let go before I stab you."

Micheal laughed. "Ahuh. And I'll rip you in half if you try." He shook his head. "You path-" He was cut off by a blade slipping into him right below his right hip. "I'm pathetic?" Kylar asked.

"Kylar!! Micheal!! What isare you two **doing**!?" Marisa shrieked. Kylar looked from Micheal, back to Marisa, and then to Micheal again. "Male bonding?" He suggested with a shrug.

Micheal started to chuckle, but doubled over in pain. Through his breaths, he muttered out some bitter words. "Much as I don't like the guy, he's got one helluva sense of humor."

Kylar walked over to him, and jabbed a stim into his hip. "You need to trust me Mike." He said flatly. "Or you're gonna die."

Christ, I haven't written a chapter in a long damn time. Sorry to be away people, but I'm starting some other stuff, and am happy to be back. I'm starting to work on then next chapter as we speak!

Peace!

--

Frost


	25. 25 Tombs and Respect

_Disclaimer – I don't own Fallout 3 or any of its extensive insane or confusing content._

**Chapter 12  
**

After the Knife Incident, the trio headed down along D.C, and finally arrived slightly North of the Jefferson Memorial. "Kylar?" Marisa asked. "Where is your home?"

He let out a happy sigh. "We're nearly there Marisa, nearly there. A minute's walk, perhaps. Not sure." He set out at a slightly faster path, leaving a winded Marisa and Micheal jogging behind him.

They arrived in front of a sad looking shack, which said "Pirate Pelly's Bait & Tackle?" Marisa and Micheal asked tiredly. "This is what we ran through the night for?" Micheal complained.

Kylar shook his head, and walked inside. "How do you keep this place safe from Raiders and such?" Marisa asked. The inside was a barren kitchen, looted of everything of value.

Kylar laughed. "Look around. Find my house." Micheal dropped down onto a chair, and drooped his head. "Fuck that. Open the door already, huh?" Rolling his eyes, he pulled him up. "Look."

Micheal pushed him away, and grudgingly joined Marisa in the search. Half an hour later, they were no closer than when they started. "You boys and girls give?" Kylar asked.

Both of them just sat down, and looked up at him. "Yup. I give. Where is it?" Marisa asked with a grin. Kylar returned it. "Right in front of you." He stepped away from the refrigerator, and pushed it aside.

The three of them gazed down the tunnel, and stood up slowly. A vault with 99 on it lay in front of them. "Oh my god…" Marisa said slowly. Micheal just took it all in silently. After a few minutes of staring, Marisa turned to Kylar. "You're…from a vault?" She whispered.

Kylar laughed. "Oh god no. No. I found this place a long time ago. It was one of the few vaults actually supposed to help people. Supposed to preserve the weaponry and military know-how from pre-war times."

"Wait, what do you mean, 'actually supposed to help people?' Isn't that what the vaults were made for?" Micheal asked, walking forwards. He reached for the terminal, and Kylar grabbed his arm. "Don't!"

He jerked his arm away, and stepped back away from the door. "Or what?" He said uncertainly, placing a hand where Kylar's blade entered him. "Micheal, Kylar's boody-trapped all of his safe-houses. I almost lost a limb when I just walked straight in. He's got good reason to stop you from going in."

"Damn right." Kylar said. He stepped up, and typed in a password on the terminal. "Why is it that you could do that and I couldn't?" Micheal challenged. "The previous inhabitant of this place put up a safeguard. The terminal conducts enough electricity that, if shocked, and without proper medical care, you will die."

"Oh." Micheal said. The three stepped inside, and the two, especially Marisa, having seen Kylar's previous Safehouse, marveled at the place. The walls were clean, bright lights flooded the place, and it was like an actual home.

The first room was a living room, made to look like a pre-war living room, complete with books, intact and unspoiled furniture, plants, etc. Through the door to the right was one bedroom, and to the right of that room another one, and another one to the original's left. To the left of the living room was a kitchen, and dining room. Straightforwards was a locked room.

"Why is it locked?" Micheal asked after trying to open the old fashioned door handle. "I don't want anyone in there." Kylar said. "Unsafe stuff." "Fine." Micheal said, releasing his hand from the doorknob. He walked up to the center of the room, to the thing that had captivated Marisa's attention for the last few minutes. "What, and who, is this?" He asked, reaching for two skulls, and three plaques of silver.

Kylar's hand shot out, and caught Micheal's. "Hey man, let go!" He tried to jerk away, but Kylar held fast, black fury in his eyes. _**"Don't."**_ He growled. He threw Micheal away, knuckles clenched, muscles in his arms shaking. "It's late." He said through clenched teeth. "You should sleep."

Micheal, understanding the Y chromosome, left for the bedrooms. Marisa, not understanding the Y chromosome, stayed, and foolishly approached the memorial. "Kylar? Why are you so an-"

"Sleep, Marisa." He growled again, stalking off to the locked door. "Now." He walked inside, Marisa catching a glimpse of shiny blades, many single bullets, clips, and some unrecognizable guns, and then Kylar slamming the door.

He stalked past the multiple displays, past the numerous instruction manuals, into the next room. Left. Right. Forwards. Right. Left. Forwards. Forwards. Down the stairs.

He arrived in a room with two coffins, and one opened one in the middle. On the ends of them were duplicates of the plaques in the living room. Kylar read them unconsciously, from memory gained by repeated reading and speaking over many greif-ridden months.

_Mariella Snow - _

_Helpful Individual_

_Dedicated Love_

_Faithful Friend_

_She died protecting those she loved from the Deathclaw Menace_

_Of the Eastern Shores. Hero of Fort McHenry, and Mother of the_

_Night Guard, she will be missed. Any human can be felled by the _

_Deathclaw's blade-like claws. It many to keep her down._

Mariella followed her love throughout the Apocalyptic East Coast. Upon arriving at a seaside colony, they found it besieged by a terrifying creatures, taller, stronger, and faster than ordinary Deathclaws. They had been killing the citizens for weeks, and were about to breach the gate. The two spent all night fighting for their lives among the residents when only one remained. It's leader.

Clad in black scales, and fourteen feet tall, was the Black Death of the deathclaws. It was nearly about to kill Kylar, when Mariella intervened, and saved his live. She climbed the thing, the people of the town keeping it distracted. She primed a grenade, and stuffed the thing in it's mouth. The fangs took off most of the muscle on her arm. The jaws took the whole thing off. And the explosion killed her.

**Upon this Tomb was a bouquet of real flowers, a silver ring, and a black claw.**

_Fellana Pangbourn - _

_Helpful Busybody_

_Cunning Fighter_

_Optomistic Fool_

_She died needlessly, tortured to death and raped by the Phantoms. _

_She helped all of those that she came across, even when it hindered her._

_Hero of Grayditch, and Savior of BigTown, her death saddened all those_

_That knew her. In actuality, a plaque was attatched to a sign in front of_

_BigTown, commemorating her selfless deed. _

Below the plaque was a list. It had names on it. After killing Occam, Kylar interrogated one of the only alive Phantoms. He broke his mind, and found the names of the ones who had kille and raped her.

**Four skulls and four machetes lay above her tomb.**

_Farell Blackheart –_

_Sarcastic Bastard_

_Godless Fuck_

_A Brother_

_Farell wasn't real. I know that now. But he kept me sane in the months following the Incident, and saved my live more than I can count. He's here, now, in my mind. I can't reach him. I try. My last words to him were complaints. I have to try. I have to. I'm going to set us right Farell. Oorah._

**Atop of Farrel's Tomb was a black fedora.**

Well, I hope all of you enjoyed this chapter. I know that it's pretty short, but I'm going to write as I will, stopping the chapter when it seems right.

JohnLink – I appreciate your reviews, and enjoy your comments. Thank you for the support, and if you have any fics, I will look into them.

MikeBentTone – I'm happy to see that you've stayed with the story, and am also appreaciative of your support.

ApathyNinja – Kickass name. Kickass. I'm psyched you like finding out about Kylar's background (I don't know how much you all like it or not) and truthfully, your review spurred me on to do a chapter about people in Kylar's life after the Phantoms, and how he honored them.

More on Mariella Snow later. I have to keep you people on your seats you know.

_**Read This.**_

I don't know if Anthony S. is back or not. I don't know if he's dead. But I give to him my respect, and hope that he comes back.

Peace.

--

Frost


	26. 26 Awkward Positioning

_Disclaimer – I don't own Fallout 3 or any of its extensive insane or confusing content._

**Chapter 13  
**

Kylar woke up in the morning, to the sounds of rummaging around in the kitchen. Half-asleep, he drew the blade, and stalked into the kitchen. A shadow crossed the doorway, and he grabbed the shape in a headlock with the knife at it's neck.

"How did you get in here?" He snarled. "Kylar," Marisa gasped. "Kylar it's me!" His eyes opened in shock, and he let her go. Sheathing the knife, he smiled. "Sorry. Still half-asleep."

"What the hell Kylar!" She half shouted. He took a step back. Hell hath no fury like a scorned woman…or something. And Marisa was definitely scorned. "What!" He asked, backing up farther and farther. "What was all that last night?!"

It was at this point that Micheal walked into the kitchen. Obviously having heard and seen what the two were talking about, he placed a hand on Marisa's shoulder, and whispered into her ear as he passed by, "Drop it. Read the plaques from a distance."

"Plaques?" She asked out loud, turning to him. "Damn." Kylar muttered. "I need a drink." He headed through the door, and grabbed some scotch from the shelf. "Mike?" He asked, offering him a glass. "Why not?" He said simply. "This is gonna be painful." Kylar said quietly.

Minutes later, Marisa walked in. "Kylar?" She said slowly, confused. "Who…who are these people?" He motioned for her to sit down, and sighed heavily. "I have quite a dark past, Marisa."

The three were quiet for a while before he continued. "You recall asking me about the Assassins when we were leaving the Washington Monument, don't you?" Marisa nodded. "Yeah, you stormed off."

"They were Phantom Co. A division and main branch of Talon Co. I know, I know, not very original names. Fellana Pangbourn, or Fell, as she preferred to be called. I grew up with her. Like my sister." He stopped there, and blinked furiously for a few seconds. "Phantoms destroyed our hometown seven ago. We lived apart, unknowing that the other was alive, until five years ago. We stayed together as partners for three, when they found us."

Micheal and Marisa were watching in rapt attention, awed. "Tortured, raped, and then cut to death. By…a relative of mine, you could say." The next few minutes passed in silence, and then Kylar let out a short breath. "I don't know who I want to not tell you about less."

Time went on. And they waited. "Mariella Snow…." He began. "Was my partner. She helped me get over the death of Fell and Farell. We grew close. Too close."

"You two are new to the Wastes, and what's more have never been to the Eastern Shores. There are different creatures and horrors all along the landscape. You've never seen a Deathclaw, I know. Imagine a ten foot monster, with huge teeth, long, long claws, devilish speed, and sunken eyes. You have a Deathclaw." Kylar took a breath.

"You have to see them to appreciate them. Now imagine a fourteen foot tall version, with an amazing sense of smell, legs that can bound halfway up the walls of Megaton, with the strength to claw their ways up the rest of the way. Add to that an intelligence greater than a Super Mutants, but less than a Human's, and the knowledge on how to communicate, you have the Devils of the Eastern Shores."

Kylar gave the two a few minutes to imagine such a thing, and then continued in a shaky voice. "When Mariella and I neared Fort McHenry, we saw a terrible sight. Hundreds of people being slaughtered by around ten Devils. Later, I found out that there were around two-fifty citizens of Fort McHenry."

"Mariella wasn't going to take that. She unslung her damned sniper, and started helping out everyone she could see. I didn't have a choice but to help her, and I charged into the masses to do what I could. I dragged the wounded out of there, shooting at one of the hulking monsters when I could."

He stopped there. "And then it came." He said slowly, almost not speaking at all. "The Black Death. Now, according to the people of McHenry, a historian stopped by, and witnessed a previous massacre. After the battle, he whispered, 'The Black Death.' Apparently it was a disease that killed off a tens of millions of people."

He stopped, and laughed harshly. "I think the bombs did a bit more than that. Anyways, this thing was so deadly, people just started calling it that. The Reaper, or Death, or Night."

"The Reaper was a big sonnovabitch. Taller than the others by at least two feet, longer claws, sharper teeth. And this one quality that set him apart, so you would always know him just from looking."

"He was fucking black. Like a moonless night, fucking dark." Kylar swore. "He was right next to me. About to take a chunk out of me. I jumped, and crawled on my back away. He kept coming. Slowly. Taking his time, the bastard."

"He should have just killed me. It's his damned fault." Kylar took a deep breath, and went on. "In the time that he was coming for me, that Mariella crossed the distance to get to me. The townsfolk were keeping the others occupied. She pulled the pins from a grenade when she neared the thing."

Kylar's eyes glazed over, and he let all of the energy and strength out of his muscles, slumping over against the wall. "She climbed the spikes on it's back. She jumped around, hanging from a horn on it's head. Jammed the grenade in it's mouth. She…was bleeding. Horribly. Then the jaws snapped down."

"She looked at me, and smiled." Kylar stopped talking, gazing off into his past.

"_Mariella, get out of here! Run!" Kylar shouted, as he was weaving between the Reaper's claws. "Go!" Mariella kept running, and Kylar saw her pulling the pins with the crazy glint in her eyes. "No!" He was so distracted, he half tripped, half jumped over someone lying dead on the ground. "**Don't you dare come closer!"** He roared._

_ "That's not my style." Mariella shouted back. She dodged around one Devil, and ran up the back of another. Jumping from it's head onto the Reaper's back, she scaled the behemoth. "It's been wonderful knowing you Kylar." She panted, shoving the explosive in the beast's mouth. "I'll miss you."_

_ And Kylar's vision turned to red, then black. His face became spattered with blood. Silence for a few minutes. And then his hands and arms ran red with the blood of the Devils._

Kylar slapped himself, and refocused his eyes. "Farell Blackheart." He smiled, and shook his head. "He was the most amoral person I've ever met. Kindof." He cocked his head, and thought on how to explain. "Kylar?" Marisa asked. "Go on."

"Mm? Right." He took a deep breath. "I…am, no, was, schizophrenic. Farell was a figment of my imagination that I unconsciously created after the Ridgefield Incident."

"He kept me alive, warned me of dangers. We had a number of conversations. And in the headquarters of the Phantoms, he possessed me, and saved my life."

"I underwent….trauma, after killing Occam, their leader." Kylar's eyes lost his happy gleam, and again fell into the depths of greif. "I was in shock. I wandered this area for a while, when someone, or something, shot at me."

"I figured out how a real bullet could kill Farell." He looked up at Marisa and Micheal. "To everybody, a bullet piercing a person in a vital area will kill them. Right?"

The two nodded.

"Well, I saw a bullet pass near me. I suppose that it would've passed through Farell, and I guess that to me that meant he was dead. But he's not. He's a figment of my imagination, and I know he still exists. Technically."

He stood up abruptly, and walked towards the locked door. "I'll be back. Micheal, what do you prefer to fight with?"

"Huh?" He mumbled. "Oh, um, I guess something blunt, heavy, but easy to carry, and some kind of shotgun." He nodded. "Oh, and a pistol with that. Which I have." He added. "Right." Kylar said.

He walked into the next room, and the doors locked behind him. Marisa looked at Micheal, Micheal looked at Marisa. "Holy shit." They said unanimously. They took the next few minutes to take in what Kylar had said, before Micheal asked Marisa an inevitable question. Or two.

"What do we do?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, he's obviously insane. We can't trust him."

"He never showed any signs of insanity when we were traveling D.C!" Marisa protested.

"So?"

"So, if I trusted him then, and he didn't do anything to hurt or betray me, then I can trust him now."

"Okay."

"Okay?" Marisa wondered.

"Okay!" He confirmed.

"Okay."

They took the next few minutes to enjoy their breakfast, which was some pre-war cereal with regular beer, some kind called Ja K Da i ls, instead of milk.

"Do you like him?" Micheal blurted out. Marisa swallowed some cereal. "How do you mean?"

"Do you like him? Like how I like you?" He asked again. He took another bite of cereal. Between most unmarried or people not in a relationship together, this would be very awkward, and the guy would most probably be beaten to near death with a purse. But, Micheal and Marisa acknowledged that he loved her, and that he would be patient.

When Marisa understood the question, she accidentally spewed the alcohol out of her nose. "Excuse m- aaaah!!" Her hands flew up to her nose. "Oh, god! Fuck!" Micheal jumped up, and ran over to her. "Are you alright?"  
Marisa had gotten up as well, and was bent over the table. "Christ! It stings!!" Micheal understood what had happened. The alcohol coming up through her nose had burned, and she was in pain. "It's all right." He said, comfortingly, placing his hands on her sides. "It'll feel better soon."

It was a few moments ago when Kylar walked in, and he took in the sight. Micheal and Marisa didn't register him being there until after a few moments. The both looked up at him, and then realized what it looked like they were doing. Both of them muttered half-excuses, explinations, and gibberish until Kylar tossed Micheal the things he requested.

Shaking his head and sighing, he headed for the kitchen. "Tourists."

That's the chapter.

Apathyninjs - Don't worry, the mysterious wanderer from Season One plays a big roll, and will become a major plot device.

JohnLink – I'm sorry, I had a typo in the last chapter when they arrived at Kylar's home. It was supposed to be Vault 99, not 77. I'm figuring that since the other Vaults in the D.C area are near the hundred area, I should do the same. I fixed that up, so no worries. And I will have some kind of puppet reference. No worries.

-- Peace

Frost


	27. 27 Kick in the Teeth

_Disclaimer – I don't own Fallout 3 or any of its extensive insane or confusing content._

**Chapter 14  
**

Kylar walked out of the Vault, with Marisa and Micheal in close pursuit. "Kylar, about what you saw, it's not what you thought it was." "Hey, that wasn't what it looked like!" "It was a misunderstanding." "You're not pissed are you?" The stream of excuses and proclamations of innocence streamed out of the two, until Kylar turned around and held up both hands.

"I get it. Now shut up." He kept walking, with a grin on his face. "Damn." The two Vaulties relaxed, and took the time to take in what they missed when Kylar returned to the kitchen. He'd changed his clothes, and some other things as well.

He'd changed his old duster with a newer one, which was in much better condition. Unlike the old one, it was more black than brown. On the way out, Kylar knotted a strip of cloth around his head, roughly the same color. He'd dropped off his tanto in exchange for another blade, this one around ten inches long, something engraved into the blade in another language, with a curve at the end. The hilt was wooden, a rare property in these days.

The tranquilizer pistol was now gone, in it's place was a silenced M9. On the side of the gun was a symbol, or an emblem, which Marisa pointed out. It was a blade, no hilt, just the same thing but upside down. Under the double bladed symbol was a crosshair, with the center dot above the blades. Underneath the Crosshair was a skull, one eye on each side of the blade. "What does it mean?" Marisa asked.

"It's my calling card." Kylar answered simply. "Meaning?" Marisa said slowly. "Meaning that if somebody's been assassinated and you find that on their corpse, then you would know it was me. Meaning that if you have one you're either a close friend of mine or I owe you a debt. Meaning that if one shows up on your doorstep you're a dead man."

He turned around. "Get it?" Marisa's eyes widened, and she nodded quickly. "Got it." "Good. Now let's go. It's going to be a while before we eat, and I want to get a head start."

In place of the Mp5k, there was a gun that Marisa didn't recognize. Marisa eyed it curiously on the walk for the next few minutes, and Kylar caught her eye. "Never seen one before?" He questioned. She nodded. "Not surprised. Only four in here, including this one. Apparently they were standard issue the British Military."

Marisa nodded thoughtfully, and Micheal shook his head. "It's just a gun." He muttered. "Right." Kylar added, hearing him. "A gun that can shoot a four hundred meter target accurately, which can fire on either semi-automatic or full automatic."

Marisa sighed longingly, and again, Micheal shook his head. "Gun nuts."

The three of them had been walking for a most of the day when a large structure rose into view. A giant hunk of metal, standing out along the horizon. A blotch, obscuring all that stood around it, controlling your eye's attention. "Whoa." Micheal said. He looked up and down the thing and whistled. "Huge." "Is that it?" Marisa asked, gesturing towards the landmark. "Rivet City?"

"Nope." Kylar said happily. "Megaton. You guys should've passed on the way out of the Vault." Micheal did a double take, and Marisa's face fell. "Megaton?! What the hell! We were going to Rivet City!" Micheal raged. "I know, I know." Kylar said, holding his hands up. "But I already explained this to Marisa. Partly. I'm….not exactly welcome in Rivet right now, so we're going to spend a few days here, and then head back south. Alright?" Kylar looked pleadingly from Micheal to Marisa, when Micheal gave.

"It's up to Marisa. I don't care, as long as we don't run into any unnecessary trouble." He claimed. He planted his foot back on the ground, and looked at Marisa. She rolled her eyes, exasperated. "Fine. We'll stay around here."

"Good." Kylar said happily. They three walked towards Megaton, and upon nearing it, heard gunshots. Micheal frowned. "What's that", and Kylar held up a hand. "Uneccesary trouble. Get ready." The three readied their weapons, and Kylar slowly walked forwards. He lead them behind a rock, and he slowly peered out.

The sight amazed him. A force of raiders was attempting a full on assault of Megaton, probably another plot to make it Raidertown. "Fuck." Kylar said, cocking his gun. "We have to help." "Why?" Micheal asked, readying his pistol. Marisa was about to scold him, when Kylar held up a hand. "Good question. I'll make it fast. In the wastes you look out for yourself. Nobody else. But, another goal of these raiders is to make their way into Vault 101, to live in comfort for the rest of their lives. They'll kill every and anything in there. So we help Megaton."

Before any of the two could respond, Kylar stepped out from behind the rock, crouching, and started firing on semi at the mob attacking the gates. "Spread out." He cautioned. "If an explosive hits one of us, it could take out someone else nearby." Marisa climbed the rock, and was lying down, firing at every raider she could. Micheal went around the other side of the rock, and was firing as accurately as he could into the mass.

But they weren't to go unnoticed. Raiders split off from the group to destroy those who were flanking them. "Micheal, shotgun. Marisa, down." Kylar shouted. He changed to automatic, and started firing at the advancing Raiders. His gun clicked, and he ducked back behind the rock. "Cover me." He said, reloading.

As he said that, four raiders rounded Micheal's side of the corner. Micheal got off two shots, taking down three. The next shot was wild, and missed the raider. Marisa was taking too long to react, and Micheal had to reload. The raider took out a bat on his back. "I'm going to grind you into dust." He growled. He leaped at Micheal, and swung wildly at his head.

Micheal was dodging best he could, blocking occasionally with his arms. "Kylar! Little help?!" But Kylar was dealing with his own problems. More raiders were coming from the his side, and he could offer no help. Micheal ducked a swing and jumped into the raider. He saw it coming. The raider turned to his side and lashed out with his boot, cracking Micheal in the jaw. He crumpled to the ground.

The raider raised his bat, about to bash in the helpless man's head in when his was severed from his neck. Marisa had drawn Kylar's blade, and slashed at the Raider. The wave slowly trickled down to none, and Kylar stood, panting. He'd been fighting off a few raiders with his hands, and he had a few bruises. He turned to Marisa, and he saw her holding his bloody knife. He immediately knew what had happened.

"Marisa? It's okay. He would've died if you hadn't done that. He deserved death." He said in a hollow voice. "Come on. Get him up and let's go." Marisa nodded sharply, and tried to wake Micheal. "Kylar?"

"Mm?"

"He's not waking up." Marisa said, hysteria edging it's way into her voice.

"Fuck." Kylar sprinted over, dropping his gun. He dug his pockets for a stim, and injected Micheal with it. "That's all we can do for now." Kylar said. He picked his gun back up, and then hoisted Micheal over his back. He groaned. "Damn! He's heavy." He started for Megaton. "Have to get him to Doc Church." Kylar panted.

"Or he'll die." Marisa asked nervously. Kylar paused for a moment. He didn't want to upset her, or make her panic. "Yes. He will. So help me carry him." The next few minutes were spent in a hurried effort to get Micheal to the gates. When they were within fifty yards, a voice called out. "Take another step and die, Raider scum!"

"Shut the hell up Stockholm!" Kylar shouted. "It's Kylar, now open the damned gate. Get Church here, now!" There was a pause, and then the gates began to open. "Move." Kylar muttered to Marisa.

They worked their ways to the Gate, and were finally inside the city. Doc Church was waiting just outside with Lucas Simms. "Thanks for the help back there. Might not've made it if not for you."

"Yeah, yeah, no problem, etc. etc. Church! He took a boot to the face, and he was moving towards it at the time. Fix him up." Kylar said angrily. These idiots were wasting valuable time.

Church took a look at Micheal, who was groaning unconsciously. "Alright. I think I can do it. Take a while though, an hour or two. Then a week to allow for natural healing to take place. Get him down to the clinic."

---

Hourse later, Church stepped from the clinic to hunt down Kylar. He found him in Moriarty's, drinking in the corner with the girl he'd come to town with. "Kylar. Your friend'll be fine. He has a concussion, a broken nose, and a fractured jaw, but with bandaging and a week's rest, he'll be back up."

Kylar let out a sigh of relief. "Thanks Doc." He turned back to Marisa. "Where was I? Right. So I'm still in the shadows, with these two raiders arguing over wether or not you could have six aces in a game of Five Card Draw. A third raider says that six us two less than seven, which is a couple under five. The second claims that five is the same as six, but different wording, and the first-"

Doc Church cleared his throat. "My fee, Kylar." Kylar turned back to him, and nodded. "Of course. How much?"

"With supply cost, time and effort put in, and something extra for me, six hundred caps."

"Alright." Kylar said. He pulled a bag from the floor, and handed it to Church. Leaving a stunned Church there, he turned to Marisa. "You owe me five caps." He said happily. "So the first raider says that six is one higher than five, and the other two call him an idiot. One thing lead to another, and the second and third are about to kick the shit out of the first. So I step in, and agree with the second raider. They're too caught up in their fight to notice I'm a stranger, and the second starts bragging to the other two. The first and third start strangling the second, and within minutes he's dead."

"They're happy with themselves, when they notice something on the deck of cards. It's a grenade. It went off, and the game ended. I was out of the building before it went off." Kylar chuckled. "Funny stuff."

Marisa was slightly disgusted, but after seeing raiders for herself, she decided they got what they needed. "Yeah, it is." Kylar looks outside, and swore. "Fuck. It's late. C'mon Marisa, let's hit the hay."

She followed him to the common rooms, and there they spent the night.

Chapter 14. I've changed Kylar's looks, but that will be explained in the next, or second next chapter. For those of you who enjoy my writing, I have published an Oblivion fic, Ratem M, Forest. If you have not played Oblvion, I do not advise you read it. Lots of confusing stuff to an outsider.

Apathyninja – Thank you for the review, and your support.

JohnLink – Again, you have the longest reviews. Not that that's a bad thing, it's just unexpected. No, there will not be an in-game Fallout reference, such as a bobblehead or a torn puppet. Sorry. But thank you.

--

Frost


	28. 28 Scolding

_Disclaimer – I don't own Fallout 3 or any of its extensive, insane or confusing content._

**Chapter 15  
**

Kylar woke up, and stared at the ceiling. An intense and uncomfortable feeling of _déjà vu _swept over him, and it took him moments before he could recall where it was from. Two years ago, and some months. When he woke up as Shift. With Fell. Before this damned mess.

Groaning, Kylar stood from the bed. (See?! No grammatical errors there!) The sun was shining in from a window, and he walked out of his room to go rouse Marisa. To his surprise, she was already awake. And naked. And dressing. Kylar stood there for a few seconds before swiftly turning around, and covering his eyes. Marisa turned to look at the noise. She stared at Kylar, and then shrieked. She slammed the door shut, and blushed furiously.

"Just so you know, I did _not _know that you were dressing." Kylar called. "Shut up!" Marisa answered, mortified. Kylar chuckled, and waited patiently for Marisa to exit the room. When she did, Kylar smiled. "Alright!" He said, clapping his hands together. "Let's get some food, and head out."

Marisa followed Kylar outside, and frowned. "Head out?" Kylar nodded. "Yup. This is how I pass my free time when I don't have any wood to carve. I scav and explore around wherever I am." Marisa frowned, and the two sat down outside of the Brass Lantern. "Isn't that dangerous?" Kylar looked at her cryptically, and shook his head. "Life in the Wastes is dangerous Marisa. You're going to spend your life out here, I'm assuming, and you'll have to face the facts. Every day of your life, you'll be fighting. Fighting for your life, your friends, and possibly your lover. Or lovers. Or…never mind. You get the point."

He ordered some noodles, and Marisa asked for some fruit. "In fact, you'll be fighting harder than the men. You have to face this too; you're beautiful. Every man in the Wasteland who's ever seen you has contemplated bedding you, and more than one will try it, and if they're turned down, they might follow you into the Wastes." Kylar said seriously. He took a sip of water. "Not to mention Raiders and Slavers."

Marisa turned to look at Kylar, but he just ate his food. "What about you?" She asked. Kylar turned to her. "What _about_ me? I've told you about myself, what else is there?" Marisa let out an exasperated sigh. "I mean, have you…you know, thought about, well, bedding me?"

Kylar stopped eating, turned his whole body and stared into Marisa's eyes. "No matter what I say, you'll be offended and probably hurt me." He said slowly. He turned back towards the table, and went back to his eating. "Excuse me?" Marisa said, confused. "Well, think about it." Kylar started. "If I say I have, you'll think me a pig, and slap me. If I say I have along with the fact that I don't expect it, you'll think that I'm too good for you, get defensive, and slap me." Marisa started to say something, but Kylar held a hand up. "If I say I haven't, then you'll think I don't find you attractive, get defensive _and _offended, and slap me. If I say it hasn't crossed my mind, you'll think I'm gay, get shocked, lose faith in me, and probably slap me and stalk off."

Kylar took another sip of water. "So I chose not to answer that question." Marisa was about to respond, when she sighed again. "I suppose it's pointless to even try to get you to answer, huh?" Kylar smiled. "Good. You're learning. Now let's go."

---

They spent the next hour and a half just wandering around, Kylar commenting and instructing about the Wasteland, it's inhabitants, and the wildlife. At one point, his clothing and arms came up in the conversation. "What do you mean, 'What's with my clothes?'"

"Well, why did you add the head wrap? Why did you change dusters? What's up with the new guns, and the sword?" Marisa asked unrelentlessly. Kylar sighed, and sat down on a rock. "It's always questions with you." He said tiredly. "Alright. I changed my brown duster to the blackish one because the brown one needed to be cleaned." "What?" "Think about it." Kylar said thoughtfully. "The Wasteland is full of dust, so eventually, everything turns brown." Marisa couldn't help but appreciate the logic in that.

"The head wrap I lost while getting to G.N.R, so I replaced it. I replaced the sword because I needed something more concealable for my last contract, and I only used the Mp5k because it's a fairly close quarters gun, and D.C is close quarters."

The SA80 was strapped to Kylar's back, while the sword goes on his left hip, and the silenced M9 on his right. He had a belt of stims around his waist, and various drugs, mainly med-x and buffout. "I usually go around with some kind of assault rifle, a close quarters weapon, and some kind of small firearm. These are the arms that are my preferred choice."

The next few minutes were spent just wandering around, until their path took them to the wooden door of Vault 101. They stopped, and stood there for a short while. Kylar broke the silence. "101, huh?" He whistled. "Impressive door." "Oh, shut up." Marisa said bluntly. "You know it's just a cover." "I know."

They sat down on the nearby rocks, and ate a light lunch. Afterwards, they sat back and, 'chewed the fat,' so to speak. Kylar noticed something out of the ordinary, which was usually bad. Very bad. So he decided to point it out. "Marisa." "What?" She said quickly. She said it not in the manner as in, 'What do you want?' but as in 'I didn't hear what you were saying because I wasn't paying attention, so say it again.' "Your pip-boy. It's…different." It was all he could say. He didn't know how to work the damned thing, and she was the master. Marisa frowned.

"Hmm. Lemme check." The next few minutes were spent checking over the pip-boy when a voice suddenly sprung to life.

"_This is an automated distress message from Vault-Tec Vault 101. Message begins: _

It feels like you left home a long time ago, but I know you're still out there. I just hope you're still alive to hear this. Things got worse after you left. My father's gone mad with power. If you can hear this, please stop looking for your dad and help stop mine. I changed the door password to my name. If you're hearing this, and you still care enough to help me, you should remember it.__

Message repeats. 

A dead silence passed over the two. The message played twice more, and Kylar waited for his employer's orders. Doubtlessly they would venture into the vault, an event that Kylar somewhat looked forwards to. He wanted to see for himself the place in which Marisa grew up, and the people who she did it with. Growing up, not, well, yeah. You get it.

Kylar cleared his throat, and stood up. Marisa switched off the recording, and looked at Kylar in confusion. "Well, let's get going." Kylar said impatiently. He started for the door, when Marisa spoke out. "What?" Kylar stopped. He turned around, and stared at Marisa. "We're…going into the Vault, aren't we?" He asked, confused. Marisa sat in silence, and clapped her hands together. "Yes. Yes! We are!" Marisa got up animatedly, and got a silly grin on her face. "This is great!" She said excitedly.

Kylar followed her towards the wooden door. "It's good that your home is in trouble that could cause a lot of people to either die or roam the Wasteland, helpless?"

And for the second time in as many hours, Marisa told him to shut up. They opened the door to the tunnel, and walked slowly to the terminal. Kylar felt like he was in some kind of movie, where the protagonist, or protagonist's sidekick, he wasn't sure, was about to make some kind of life changing decision that would permanently change them, for better or worse.

Or he wasn't thinking straight from the sun. Like he said, er, thought, he wasn't sure.

Marisa typed in the password with shaky hands, and the Vault doors opened. A man, whom his name Kylar never learned, ran forwards and aimed a .10mm pistol at them. "Hold on you two. I don't know who you are, or how you got in here but…oh my god. It's you! You…you're alive! How…..who…" He stuttered, and eventually realized he was still pointing the gun at the two of them. "You're not here to cause any trouble are you?" At this, Kylar laughed. It was a few short laughs, but they were laughs. "We're here because of trouble." He walked forwards to the man, and held out his hand. "Kylar Whitlock. At your service." He said politely.

The man looked suspiciously at his hand, and sighed. _What the hell. _He took it, and pumped it hard, twice. "Officer Gomez. A pleasure." He turned back to Marisa. "Officer Gomez!" She shouted happily. She leaped forwards and gave him a hug. "I'm so glad you're okay!" She grinned crazily, and then her excitement died down. "I got a radio transmission from Amata…she says that there's trouble in the Vault."

Gomez let her go, and his smile died as well. "There is trouble. I suppose you two might be able to fix it, but if you decide to just leave, I'll keep your arrival quiet. If I go on, I can't cover for you. It's all or nothing kid."

Marisa shook her head, rolling her eyes. "What's going on Gomez?" He sighed, and started walking deeper into the vault. "After you and your father left, the Vault split apart. Some people wanted to open the Vault. Some wanted to stay. The rebels, Amata, and hers, want it open. Alphonse, the Mack family, John Kendall out of his family, and the Taylors want it to stay closed."

"Many people blame you for this, you know. I'd stay away from Alphonse's party. They want you dead. I'm assuming you'll be heading to Amata, seeing as she's the one who called you here."

Marisa nodded. "Thanks Officer Gomez." She said worriedly. She walked forwards, leaving him behind. "Hey, wait a moment. Micheal left the Vault after you did. Ever find him?" He asked hopefully. Marisa turned around. "Yup. He took a kick in the face, shattered some bones. He's recovering in a nearby town. He'll be fine."

Leaving an awestruck Gomez behind, they walked deeper into the Vault, and passed Paul Hannon taunting Officer Taylor. "You can't keep us down here old man! We're getting out of here!" Seconds later, he started firing at the Tunnel Snake. He scurried down the tunnel, and they quickly followed.

Marisa started running, and Kylar lost sight of her while disarming the old badger. "Only shoot if shot upon." He scolded. When he turned, he saw that his employer was out of sight. He started sprinting, vaulting around corners, desperately trying to find Marisa. He walked into room after room, hunting unsuccessfully for his employer.

Passing staring faces, he passed through most of the vault before giving up. He stopped, and panted. He saw a face peeking from behind a corner, and Kylar stood up. "Oi. You. C'mere." The face ducked back behind the corner. "I won't hurt you, I need directions." He said tiredly. The person slowly walked out from behind the corner. "W-w-what do you w-want." She stammered nervously. "Directions. Where is Amata?" Kylar regained his breath, and stood up straight. "Why do you care?" She challenged, gaining some courage. "Answer." Kylar said impatiently.

The face gained a superior sneer, and walked behind the corner. And fury erupted in Kylar. He took the blade from the loop holding it there, and walked noiselessly around the corner. He grabbed the girl by the shoulder, and held the blade around her throat from behind. "**Where**?" He growled. She started to shake, and mumbled directions. Kylar let her go, and left without another word.

Thank you all for reviewing, and all of you for your support. Viva la Wastes!

Apathyninja – Kylar doesn't own his Megaton house anymore because he saw no need for it. Also, he had been technically kicked out of town. The Calling card issue is simple; If you are given one personally, then Kylar owes you something, if one shows up on your doorstep, unbidden, you're fucked.

Mikebenttone – I apologize, but I wanted Kylar to get into sync with his more modern weapons. Plus, Vault 99 was the vault storing all weaponry and armament that that the U.S military could get it's hands on.

JohnLink – I'm somewhat disturbed, or happy, not sure, that you like Micheal being kicked in the teeth.


	29. 29 Blind Guilt

_Disclaimer – I don't own Fallout 3 or any of its extensive, insane or confusing content._

**Chapter 16  
**

Kylar dashed down the hall, and around the corner to find Marisa talking with some other girl. He stopped running, leaned on the wall, and panted in relief. Once he'd caught his breath, he walked up to Marisa. Surprisingly, he'd remained unnoticed. He grabbed her by a shoulder and turned her around. She was surprised, and started to jerk away, but he held her still. Pointing at her, he spoke slowly and seriously. "Never. Do that. Again. Understand?"

Marisa looked into Kylar's eyes, and was shocked to see that he'd just gone through panic, fear, and anger in the last ten minutes. Then, looking at the fact that she was his charge and he was entirely responsible for her, in a somewhat hostile environment, she'd worried him. "Okay." She said apologetically. "Okay." Kylar said. He released her, and turned to find a gun at his head.

He looked past the pistol to it's wielder. The girl Marisa was talking to was pointing a gun shakily at him. Marisa was about to intervene, but Kylar held up a hand. _Do all of them __**have**__ to learn the hard way?_ Kylar just stared into her eyes, unyielding, and fearless. Moments passed and she lowered the gun. The second it dropped away from his head, Kylar disarmed the girl in a deft maneuver. She reached for it, but Kylar grabbed her hand. "Are you going to try to shoot me again?" He asked. "Give me that!" She complained angrily, still reaching against Kylar's hand. "Yes, or no?" After a few more attempts, she gave up. "No."

Kylar handed her the gun. "Kylar Whitlock." He said, pumping the gun, and in turn her hand. "Marisa's bodyguard, escort, and guide. Nice to meet you." He released the gun, and the girl holstered it. "Amata Almodovar. Marisa's best friend, and lifelong companion. How do you two know each other?" Kylar was going to answer, but Marisa took this opportunity to speak. "I saved his life a few weeks back, and this is his way of repaying me." "And you trust him not to," Amata was going to say rape, but at Kylar's glare she chose another word. "Harm, you?"

Marisa nodded. "Yes, I do. He's never lead me astray, and has protected me from the moment we met. Well, after those first few moments." "Ah-ah-ah! Might I add that you never saved my life." Kylar said, nodding confidently. Marisa frowned, and rolled her eyes. "Please. That behemoth would've crushed you like an ant." "Nonsense. I was in the superior position." "You call on your back with a broken foot a superior position?" Marisa challenged. Kylar frowned. "Hmm. Let's see. I was…" Kylar trailed off there, rubbing his chin while trying to think of something to say. "Distracting him. Yes. That's it! If not for me, you never would've gotten that shot off." He said happily, nodding again.

They kept arguing like that for the next fifteen minutes, drawing the attention of everyone in the room. If not for the fact that they hadn't been together for just a few weeks, Amata could've sworn they had known each other and had been good friends for the better part of their lives. Through the conversation, the residents of Vault 101, excluding Marisa, as she already knew this, and Micheal, because he wasn't there, found that Kylar was a relatively good person. Relatively.

When they had finished the argument, settling on that they had used telepathy to confer with each other of what to do before Kylar had broken his foot, Marisa turned to Amata. "So, what's the problem? I know that your Father wants to keep the Vault closed, and you want to leave." Amata rolled her eyes. "No. We want the Vault opened, but we want to still live in the Vault." "That is the stupidest thing I've ever heard." Kylar said. Amata and the rest of the Vaulties' heads swiveled towards Kylar. "Oh?" Amata asked, irked. "And why is that, Mister, High-And-Mighty Wastelander?" "Firstly, I am high and mighty. I could outlast any of you vaulties in the Wasteland, and that's why opening the Vault is a bad idea. Think. You've got raiders, Super Mutants, your various wasteland wildlife, and Slavers. The best you guys are armed with is, what, a .32 rifle? You'd be massacred."

Kylar stopped there, and turned to Marisa. "All of this depends on one thing; Are you going to keep the door opened permanently, or are you going to close it when it's not in use?" Amata considered this for a moment. "We _were_ going to keep the door opened permanently, but given your advice, I'd think we should keep it, like you said, closed when not in use." Amata looked around the room. "Any objections?" She asked loudly. Nobody said anything, asides from mutterings of agreement, and the nodding of heads.

"It's all academic if we can't get your Father to step down though." Marisa said quietly. "Ah, I wanted to talk to you about that." Amata said in a matching tone. "My Father is driving this Vault into the ground, and we can't stop him. If you can, I want you to talk him out of the job." "Right." Marisa said. She started to walk away, when Amata spoke out again. "Please, don't hurt him. He's still my dad." Marisa stopped, and hesitated. "Alright."

Kylar followed Marisa's lead, allowing her to lead him around the Vault. "So what's the plan?" He asked. "Well, I want to stay on good terms with Amata. But, if push comes to shove, we'll force Alphonse down." Marisa said determinedly. "I always have loved politics." Marisa looked at Kylar. "_What_?" "I love politics." Kylar said again. "The scheming, undermining, and scandals." He wiped an imaginary tear from his eyes. "It's even better in the wastes when you can always shoot the competition."

Marisa just shook her head. "I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that." They walked on, and upon rounding a corner, Marisa ran into a familiar face. "Well hey there, Issa!" Butch said happily. "It's good to see you back from the Other side. What's it like?" Marisa glared at Butch. "Marisa. Not Issa. Out of my way."

Butch stepped in front of her. Marisa moved to the other side of the hallway, and Butch stepped in her way again. She could see where this was going. Butch was stronger than your average Vaultie, and he pinned her against the wall. "Missed you pretty girl." She tried to fight him off, and was happy to see that she didn't have to. Kylar had grabbed him off of her, and had him against the wall. He was furious, and had picked up a random piece of metal from the floor.

"She didn't." He growled. He rammed the metal rod into Butch stomach, then slammed it upwards, clicking his mouth shut. Leaving Butch in agony, he dropped the pipe and walked along with Marisa. He noticed that Marisa was muttering under her breath about something, and Kylar bowed his head. "Sorry."

Marisa's head bolted upright. "For what?" She asked. "For hurting Butch." Kylar said sullenly. Marisa's brow creased, and then she laughed in understanding. "No, no. I'm happy you did what you did. I'm just upset I couldn't do it." Kylar laughed with her, and they walked through the vault. They turned down through the hallways of the Vault, and after the happy mood had passed, they walked in an eerie silence.

"This is it." Marisa said quietly. They walked up a stairway, and through a doorway. A living room. They walked into the next room, and found Alphonse Almodovar. "Overseer." Marisa called out. He started, and turned. He looked at Marisa, and then recognized her. The disgust on his face was amplified when he was that she had brought a Wastelander into _his _vault. "You have a lot of nerve showing up with this scum Young Lady."

Kylar arched an eyebrow. "_That_ was uncalled for." He said. The Overseer turned to him, and glared. "Are you actually speaking to me?" He asked, appalled. "How, **dare **you. Hold your tongue you genetically inferior mutant!" Kylar just watched the Overseer, while Marisa stared, wide-eyed. "Let's be clear." Kylar said. "I," He pointed to himself. "Am a genetically inferior scummy mutant." The Overseer nodded. "And you," He said, pointing to the Overseer, "are the epitome of Human life." The Overseer nodded, happy that the mutant got his point.

Kylar sat, and just stared at the Overseer. After a few minutes, he grew uncomfortable. He was about to speak, when Kylar clapped his hands together. "Got it." He jumped to his feet, and walked over to Marisa. "Knife please." She handed him the combat knife that she'd taken from a raider, and he walked over to the Overseer. He shrank back, and Kylar unsheathed his sword, and held it out to the Overseer. "This means a lot to me, and if you chip it, you will wish you had killed yourself with it." He walked to the other side of the room, and slid the head wrap over his eyes.

"What is this?" The Overseer asked suspiciously. "To see who would survive longer in the Wasteland, and who is more suited to lead an open Vault." He said, nodding. "A Scummy mutant, or the Epitome of Humanity." He gestured for the Overseer to attack him. "That is, if you're feeling lucky." He smiled crazily, and held the knife in a limp grip at his sides. The Overseer walked forwards, and eyed the blade in his hands. "Very well." He lunged forwards, and Kylar stepped to the side, dodging his untrained attack. "Very sloppy. No control." Kylar remarked.

The Overseer frowned, and tried an overhand chop. Kylar turned his head to the side, and the blade slid past his hear, and was too short to reach his torso. "Too slow." He said, still grinning. Anger etched it's way across the Overseer's face, and he started to swing in faster succession. Kylar began to use the knife to block and slide past some of the swings, and minutes passed in a comfortable rhythm. _Block. Step. Twist. Step. Block. Dodge. Step. Step. Block. Step._

Time passed, and Kylar decided that enough was enough. With the Overseer's next swing, he slid the blade away, twisted the Overseer's arm, and forced him to his knees, one of Kylar's arms holding the Overseer's behind his back, the other holding a knife to his throat. "Touché." He whispered. He let the Overseer to his feet, removed his blindfold, tossed the knife back to Marisa, and resheathed his blade. "Now. Who was inferior to who?" He asked innocently.

"It doesn't matter! I am the Overseer, and the Vault will never open again! I would die before it would, and I would stop at nothing to keep it closed." The Overseer continued like this, and Kylar sighed. "Fanatical. He won't accept any other view than his own. Plan B?" He asked.

Marisa's shoulders dropped, and she took a deep breath. "Plan B." Kylar walked up to the Overseer, took out his pistol, and shot him. He sighed, and closed the now dead Overseer's eyes. "Sileo in Pacis." He whispered. The Overseer fell to the floor, and Kylar dropped a card onto his chest. He let Marisa lead the way. He was unusually quiet, and Marisa wanted to strike up a conversation. "What did you say to him?" She asked. "It was Latin. I learned it in the Vault. Father of most languages. What I said translated roughly into Rest in Peace."

They walked in silence for an equally long period of time, and they hadn't yet reached Amata. "Why didn't you say that to the Raiders that we killed?" She asked bluntly. "We had no choice." He said shortly. "I don't kill when I don't have to." Marisa thought on that for a moment. "But we had to kill the Overseer. Like you said, he wouldn't step down." Kylar was silent, and then he responded. "If….If I hadn't aggravated him, made him angry, then maybe he would still be alive." He said thoughtfully. Marisa patted his shoulder. "No. Even before I left the Vault, he was a fanatic. There was no other choice."

"I'll face the music." Kylar said. Marisa turned to him. "What?" "I'll take the blame. You didn't kill him, I did. So, Amata's fury comes out on me." This was a statement, not an argument, and Marisa knew that. Desperate the change the subject, Marisa searched her mind for something to talk about. "Where'd you learn how to do that?"

"Do what?"

"The bit with the blindfolded knife fight. It was impressive."

"Ah. A mini-nuke went off near me once. I didn't die, or turn into a ghoul obviously, but the rads were hell on my eyes. A client I was traveling with was a doctor, and he fixed me up. He told me that my eyes would be back in business in about a fortnight. Two weeks. So, I traveled to Megaton from there. I managed to fight off some Mole Rats, and a Radscorpion. When I got there, I practiced all I could, and I learned to judge where you are by your footsteps, your breathing, and whatnot. Usually, people hold their breath when when they swing a knife, so I got pretty good at it."

Marisa nodded slowly. "The last two sentences would've been just fine, you know."

"I know."

"Okay."

The two arrived back at the clinic, and Marisa felt the butterfiels in her stomach. She took a deep breath, and walked inside. "Marisa!" Amata ran to her friend's side. "How'd it go? Did he step down?" She was going to respond when she caught herself. _Best to let Kylar explain this._

"Yes. He stepped down." Kylar said slowly. He got a sad, and faraway look in his eyes. "But he couldn't live with what he was allowing you to do, or the shame he'd brought upon himself." He walked up to Amata, and put an arm around her shoulder. "I'm sorry, Amata. He was undoubtedly a good man, and a great leader. He did what he thought best for the Vault." He took his arm off of Amata. "I'm sorry."

Amata stared at Kylar, then Marisa. "Is….is that….." She choked on the words. Marisa nodded solemly. "Yes. I'm sorry Amata. He shot himself." She reached for her friend, and Amata cried on Marisa's shoulder. "He-I-Why would he-but-" She stammered her protests, but to Kylar's amazement, she pulled herself together. "Alright." She dried her eyes. "This is not time for hysterics. What's done is done, and that's that." She walked into Marisa's dad's old office. "Excuse me. I have to think for a moment." Marisa stalked up to Kylar.

"_What do you think you're doing!?"_ Kylar looked at her, and she saw the guild in his eyes. "I feel terribly about what I'm doing, but trust me, If she knew the truth, we would never come back here again. And not by our own choice."

Marisa was about to argue with him when Amata came back. "Marisa. Thank you. I don't know what role you had in making my Father step down, but whatever you did, I'm glad you did it. Kylar. Again, the same thing. I can't say I trust you completely, but you haven't proved yourself a savage, and I think that you never will."

Kylar raised an eyebrow, and he winked. "I wouldn't count on that." He said ominously. He nodded towards Amata, and gave a two fingered salute, you know, when you take two fingers to your forehead, and flick them away, and walked out of the room. "C'mon Marisa. We'd best be going. Caused enough disturbance as is, and I doubt that Vault 101's going to remain passive about us being here much longer."

"I have to agree with Kylar Amata. We should go." She walked up to her friend and gave her a big hug. "I missed you. It was great seeing you again. If you ever need anything, just call."

And with that Marisa walked for the Vault door for the second time. The difference this time was she was leaving voluntarily, and was happily doing it. She had a Father out there, and a promise to keep. Not to mention a certain someone waiting for her.

After thinking this, Marisa frowned and wondered who she meant.

She couldn't figure out who she was talking about.

News, people! I'm putting up a pole on my profile, over who if anyone at all should leave the Vault with Marisa and Kylar. Please respond. I'm not going to be able to write another chapter without your vote.

JohnLink – Your reviews leave me smiling and appreciated. Thank you.

ApathyNinja – I'm glad that I straightened things out, and that you are continuing reading my fic. Props to you, from sticking with it from the beginning.

Peace.

--

Frost


	30. 30 Poll and Apolagies

Alright. Seeing as how none of you have responded in three days, I'm assuming that nobody is to leave the Vault. I'll begin work on the next chapter immediatly.


	31. 31 New Tenant

_Disclaimer – I do not own Fallout 3 or any of it's irradiated and violent content._

_--------_

**Chapter 17**

Amata sighed. She walked into her dead Father's office, and sat glumly down in his chair. She contemplated for around ten minutes whether or not to believe Kylar and Marisa.

She had known Marisa all of her life. She had always been a trustworthy friend, and been blunt and helpful about the things that went wrong or happy and encouraging about the things that didn't. And that's what was bugging Amata. Marisa didn't stay to comfort her. It might've been the Wasteland. It might have messed with Marisa.

That was why Amata couldn't trust Marisa as well as she should. The Wasteland might have changed her. Amata didn't know _what _to think of Kylar. He could have threatened Marisa to tell him where the Vault was, but that didn't make sense. He left as soon as he could have.

"Fucking Wastelanders…." Amata moaned silently. She needed somebody to speak to. Someone to talk to. Anyone. She was going to get up, when she stopped short. She didn't have anyone. She didn't have any friends anymore. With Marisa and Micheal gone, she was all alone.

This fact was a slap in the face. Amata, wide eyed, sat down. The truth of the fact slowly sank in. _It's lonely at the top._

********

"You are in big trouble." Marisa growled. She was following Kylar to Megaton, and the town was a kilometer away, at most. "You know that, don't you?" Kylar nodded from the front. "Yup." "We're going to have a long talk about this once we're back in Megaton." "Alright."

Marisa exhaled angrily, and blew a lock of black hair out of her face. _Men. _They approached the gates, and Kylar banged on them. "Open up Stockholm." A face peered over the railing, and he took a bored stance. "I don't know Kylar. You stir up a lot of trouble when you come around these parts. I'm not sure Simms would be happy 'f I let you in."

Stockholm's taunt cut deeper than intended. "Open the doors Stockholm." Kylar said tiredly. "Please." As the plane wings slowly slid upwards, Kylar shook his head. "Swear to god, that man gets more annoying each time I come here." They walked inside the town, and walked down the hill. Marisa, having been here only once, marveled at how the town was constructed.

"I don't see the big deal." Kylar commented. "It's been here for years, and it's going to be here for years." "But don't you see how almost half of the town depends on just one piece of metal?" "Yes, but I'd say that's a bad thing. If it were to fall, break, or be sabotaged, then half of the people living here would be homeless."

Marisa thought on that, and Kylar led her to Doc. Church's clinic. "Hello?" He called. "You here Doc?" A shadow emerged from the wall, and a gruff voice dominated the room. "Of course." "How's Micheal doing?" Kylar asked, gesturing towards the figure on the bed. "Well, he seems to be recovering quickly, even without medical help. He must still be tired, and is probably-"

"Hungry." Micheal said, propping himself up against the wall. "Very hungry." Marisa smiled, and even Kylar grinned. "Nice seeing you awake sleeping beauty." Church said. "Though you still shouldn't get up." Against the doctor's recommendation, Micheal tried to get up, and sat back down. "Wow." He panted. "That's pretty pathetic." Kylar nodded. "I know how you feel. Stick to the small movements, don't exert yourself. I'll get you some punga." He walked outside, leaving Marisa in the clinic.

"How are you feeling?" Marisa asked softly. Micheal tried to shrug, but grimaced from the pain. "Not bad. Could be better." He managed a smile. "And you?" Marisa sighed, and she sat down. "Do I have a story to tell you." With Doc Church out to lunch with Kylar, she could tell what had happened in Vault 101 in private.

--------

"…and that's it." She finished. "Well….what should we do? He seemed guilty, and we've been able to trust him this far, but you never know." Marisa sighed. "No. You never can." Kylar said, stepping from the shadows near the door. Marisa jumped, and Micheal cursed. "Damn. I could've sworn I saw you." Kylar shrugged. "Props to you. How are you?" Micheal rolled his eyes. "I collided face first into a steel toed boot. How would you be?" He asked sarcastically. Kylar shrugged again. "In pain." He tossed Micheal one of the oblong shaped fruits, which he caught without any pain. "You seem to be getting better."

He leaned in close to Marisa, and put a hand on her shoulder. "On your guard Vaultie. Watch the doors. Don't let anyone asides from Simms, Church, and myself in. I'll be back. I need to check something." With that, he left hurriedly for the door.

Marisa turned to Micheal. "What did he say?" Micheal asked suspiciously. Marisa frowned. "We aren't supposed to let anyone besides the sheriff, doctor, or Kylar in, and to be on our guard." She glanced over her shoulder at the door. "What do you think's going on?" Micheal shook his head. "No clue. Hey, hand me your pistol." Marisa handed it to him, and he put it underneath his arm. "You never know." He said, quoting Kylar. "No." Marisa said distantly. "You really can't."

Kylar hunted through town, searching for the one figure who he wanted to talk to. Finding Simms near the Brass Lantern, he pulled him asides. "Lucas." He said, starting his conversation. "There's a light on in my old house." The Sheriff glared at Kylar. "Yeah. Some wanderer bought it a few weeks ago. And as I recall, it was only your house for a day. So stop your whining." He walked away, and Kylar swiftly caught up. "What's his name?"  
"Don't know, don't care. He's quiet, and doesn't cause trouble. Unlike some mercs I know." He said, casting a meaningful glance at Kylar. "Stop the funny talk. This is important. Did you notice anything off about him?"

Simms, knowing that if Kylar was this interested in something, it really meant something, thought hard. "Yeah." He said, nodding slowly. "He had some weird kind of sword, short, with a curve on the end."

The change in Kylar was horrifying. His face drained of blood, and for a moment, he was terrified. The next second, fury slowly spread throughout him. He cracked his fingers meaningfully, and took quick deliberate steps towards the house. Simms, knowing what he had in mind, unholstered his Chinese assault rifle. "Hold it Whitlock." He said, taking aim. "I don't wanna do this, but if you go up that hill, I'll kill you." Kylar stopped. He turned around, and walked up the the black man.

**"If you aim that at me again, I will break you."** Kylar hissed. He turned on his heels, and stalked up the hill. Simms had seen terrible things in his years. Raider torture victims, or Super Mutant captives. The poor slaves of Paradise Falls, people starving to death, and ghouls slowly going mad. Lucas could comfort himself, knowing, that in children and other beauties of the world, such horrible things could be cancelled out.

Lucas could not comfort himself about the enraged man heading towards the hillside house.

--------

I know, this was a short chapter. But I felt that it should end at that line. If you don't like it, then alright. For those of you that might or might not be confused, I have deleted the fic, "Scourge". I don't want to spoil some of the things that come nearer to the end of "The Survivors", so I have deleted it for now. Don't worry, when I finish "The Survivors", it'll come back up.

I just want to put this out there. Last month, there were 292 seperate people who read The Survivors. That's boss. But you know what's not boss? The fact that only 8 of you little bastards reviewed. Eight. That's one out of thirty six and a half! No, I'm not going to be a review whore. But, I will say this. The more of you that review, don't care if it's just saying that you hated/liked the chapter I just put out, your opinion of it, or thinking that there should be more explosions. Any feedback is welcome. As most of you with fics know, it's food for the writer. Without it, writing out more chapters is so much more difficult.

--  
Frost


	32. 32 Failed Bribery Attempts

_Disclaimer – I don't own Fallout 3 or any of its extensive, insane or confusing content._

**Chapter 18  
**

The man in Kylar's old house was relaxing, sipping peacefully from a bottle of aged scotch. _He was in a nice place_, he thought. _With nice food, nice people, and nice company_. He chuckled. _Myself._

His red suit was tattered, and his bowler was starting to wear thin, but he kept them. They _were _him, after all.

----

Kylar's vision blurred. Adrenaline began pumping through his veins. His ears heard his own heart bleeding. _Another one. _Kylar's thoughts were foreign. Conscious thought was beyond his comprehension. _There are fucking more of them._

There is something in adrenaline, Cortisol, which helps the average human being cope with stress, maintain blood sugar level, aid the immune system, and help control blood pressure. While the last two thing are unimportant, the first is. Remaining calm while in times of danger or stress is a vital asses to any person.

It was once known in the pre-war world that adrenaline dilated your pupils. The result of this is enhanced eyesight. When your pupils dilate, the muscles in your iris contract to allow the pupil to expand, or dilate, allowing you to take in more information, although the degree of information depends on the amount of light.

There is always light during the day in the Capital Wasteland.

It is common knowledge that while under the effects of adrenaline, or being in an 'adrenaline rush', one moves quicker, thinks quicker, acts quicker, and feels less, if any, pain.

There is a pre-war tale of a tribal, wandering the plains of Africa. He was mauled by a lion. He survived, obviously, and his tribe saved his life. Later, recounting the tale, he said that he '…felt no pain whatsoever, that time seemed slowed, as if crawling through the sand. That he was detached, and that instead of feeling like a participant, felt more like an observer.'

This is because that when he was rushed by the lion, he needed to survive. It is an instinct. Pain distorts the mind and rational thought, so it is blocked out to make necessary decisions.

You react and think faster, because if the man had not, he would not have been able to bring his spear to where the lion's chest was going to be.

These things were lost on Kylar. The adrenaline pumping through his veins tore thought from his mind, and reason from his heart. _Key._ He felt his pockets, and pulled it out.

He still had it.

He turned the corner upon reaching the top of the hill, and again. He slammed to a stop at the railing. Panting, more from anxiety and fury than anything else, he jammed the key into the lock, and twisted. The door opened.

Kylar stalked inside, knife already in his hand. A figure looked up from a chair, and jumped to his feet. "Who are you?" He demanded. They both knew it was a tired line, and that is was pathetically under-dramatic, but it worked.

"Kylar Whitlock. And you're a Phantom." Kylar spat. He twirled the knife. "And a corpse." He lunged at the man, and drew his machete, which was as Simms described it, short, with a weird curve at the end. The swords I knew all too well.

"Used to be. Not anymore." He said, deflecting the attack. "Just as bad." Kylar said, circling the man. They were by the locker now. "How in hell do you even know about us?"

"I was a hit. Ridgefield. You in on it? Are there more of you? What do you know, **tell me what you know.**" Kylar snarled, his knife hand twitching with anticipation.

"Ridge- were? No, I wasn't in on it, no there aren't anymore of us, now get the hell out of my house." His voice reminded Kylar of a scavenger he met, a long time ago. That was their only similarity. The scavenger was an honest man. Kylar said this. He watched the phantom frond, and he grinned.

"I told you, I'm not a Phantom anymore." The man said, backing up.

"Ex is just as bad as is. No chance." The Phantom was now up against the wall between the workbench and the locker. "Look. I know I did some shit. I'll never get over that, or be forgiven. But just, chill man. Take it easy."

"Look, I know people, alright? You want something, you got it." Kylar's lips pulled back in disgust. He was trying to buy his life. The Phantom took a step forwards. "You want money, fine. You want guns, fine. You want a nice place to live, it's yours. You want women, they're y-hunhh!!"

Kylar roared, and tackled the man, taking back against the wall. Something was off though, and both of them knew it, although while the Phantom was terrified, Kylar was indifferent.

The sheet metal of the wall gave in, and they fell the ten feet to the top of the Brass Lantern, and broke through it's roof, slamming both of them onto the floor of the bar and eatery.

* * *

It's been months since I wrote chapter 18, or chapter 31 if you count season one. *yawns* It's been a while. If you thought that I wasn't writing because of what I said last chapter, then you're mistaken. Lost interest, and lost enthusiasm.

Truthfully, I haven't even been to the site for almost three weeks. I decided to check in, make sure if people were still reading my work, even this one. They were. I was surprised, even shocked. **Every day**, people kept reading The Survivors. It made me happy that so many people could be interested in what I wrote.

On a whim, I checked out the reviews. I read them all. Since the very first;

_Distinction Dave – _

_Yeah, enjoyed reading actually. Seemed well written and I'm impressed with the overall flow, I'll keep my eye out for any further updates._

There are a few spelling and grammatical errors but overall it's well polished. The one criticism I'd make (and I always make criticisms :-D) is that it actually feels quite rushed. I'd take your time with a story like this, don't be afraid to lengthen it a little. Also might be a good idea to differentiate between the two characters because right now they seem very similar.

Anyway, good start, keep writing and I'll keep reading!

To the most recent;

Mike Bent Tone –

_love it._

And all the others in between. Just so you know, I copy/pasted these. There's no editing. I read all of your reviews, and it made me smile. "Fuck it." I said aloud. Fifteen seconds later, I'd opened word and gladly reopened my heart to Kylar and company. I said to myself, and I quote, "I'll finish the damn thing if it takes years."

And I'm going to keep true to that. I'm a man of my word. So, to all of you out there that read The Survivors, know this. At least once a week, a new chapter will come out. For whichever fic that I'm working on, I don't know, but one chapter at the least will be brought to the public eyes. At least. So enjoy, my friends! And continue to read.

--

Frost


	33. 33 Grim Tidings

_Disclaimer – I don't own Fallout 3 or any of its extensive, insane or confusing content. UPDATE AT THE BOTTOM.  
_

**Chapter 19  
**

Kylar and the Phantom hit the floor. Hard. Mid-air, and on the subsequent fall from the roof to the floor, both Kylar and the Phantom had lost their knives. They landed separately, both in pain.

But the Phantom was a Phantom. He knew pain, and he knew how to ignore it. He picked himself up, dusted off his suit, and threw himself at Kylar.

But Kylar was Kylar. He'd been through things that no man, pre or post war should have to endure. The hate and determination to see the man before him dead drove everything from his mind.

Kylar grabbed the man's ribcage from the sides, and squeezed. Something popped. Kylar didn't know, but he knew that since the Phantom screamed, it was good. While the man was in pain, Kylar grabbed the arm of a bystander, and hauled himself up. He then walked unsteadily over to Jericho, who came here for lunch, but never breakfast or dinner, and took his rifle.

He made to stand, but seeing it was Kylar, sat back down, although unhappily. "Damned punk." He finished off the mutfruit he'd been eating in a single bite. "Give it back when you're done." He grumbled.

Kylar nodded absentmindedly. He walked over to the Phantom, and beat him with the butt of the rifle, driving all of the force he could towards the Phantom's cracked or broken ribs. He collapsed to the floor, writhing in agony. Kylar picked him up to his knees, and beat him sideways across the head. The other people who hadn't left the bar averted their eyes, or looked away.

Kylar placed the gun to the man's head. "I should fire. I should fire again, and again, and again for what you bastards did. What you do isn't right. It's not natural. It's sure as **shit** not morally justified. I can't think of a single reason not to pull the trigger and blast your brains all over this goddamn place."

Kylar frowned, and lowered his aim to the Phantom's chest. "But I can. Wouldn't be nice to leave you here for Jenny and her brothers to pick up. Wouldn't be, not at all. That would be rude, and impolite. And then the reason I really care about."

He fired, sending a bullet ripping through one of his lungs. He screamed, and began to gurgle when the blood filled his left lung. "Because you wouldn't have went through the same amount of pain as she did." Kylar pulled out a stimpack, and injected it right into the bullet hole.

Seconds passed, and he stopped bleeding. He could breath. Kylar lowered his aim again, and this time, shot him through the liver, and part of the spleen. The Phantom screamed in agony, begging for death. Kylar shook his head. "Nope. Three more times. One for how many parts you left her in." Another stim.

Another bullet. Through the gut. More howling. Most of the remaining crowd watched in horrified silence as Kylar slowly tortured the poor man. By the time he was finished, the Phantom had been shot in the heart, lung, liver, spleen, large and small intestine, and his pancreas.

But neither Kylar nor the Phantom knew that.

"You ready, Phantom boy?" Kylar asked, picking up the machete the Phantom had dropped. "You ready for one last round?" He smiled wildly, and swing the machete up and under the man's chin. He screamed, and screamed, and when Kylar left the machete there, he began to sob.

This pulled the heartstrings of one particular person, one Lucy West. "What are you _doing_!" She wailed miserably. Kylar looked at her blankly. "Exactly what I did to the last one of these guys that I found." He answered flatly. "Except that this one doesn't have any inscription on the blade." And then Kylar yanked.

He smiled. _Done. I'm done. _He realized the pain he was in when he couldn't move his legs anymore. He collapsed onto the ground in a heap, near the jawless Phantom. He grabbed a stim and injected himself. He panted. His guns were still in the clinic.

He got up. Slowly. Kylar looked around for his knife. It was underneath a piece of scrap metal. He picked it up, and shot daring looks at whoever still had the balls, or the lack of brains to look at him. Jenny was one of the former. She glared at him openly. Kylar nodded, and waved his hand. "Sorry." He muttered in a broken voice. Kylar tossed her a small pouch of caps. "Sorry." He repeated.

Kylar made to leave when he remembered the rifle in his hands. He tossed it over the counter to Jericho, who caught it and began to clean and reload the dinged gun.

Kylar wiped the blood off of his face as best he could. He walked for the door, and quite by chance, glimpsed a man in black in the corner. He, while Kylar had been on the ground, had walked over and taken the Phantom's bowler. He tipped it to Kylar.

He frowned. He was familiar. He knew that much. Kylar pushed the door closed, and walked hurriedly to the clinic. His mind was working to remember where he'd seen that face before. It was before he was Kylar, of course, and when he was still with Fell.

When he reached Doc Church's doors, thoughts of the stranger faded away. His second murder in half as many days. He grimaced at the thought of having to explain _that _to Marisa.

The shrouded man in the corner smiled. He'd always liked bowlers, and now that he'd finally found another, he was very happy. He remembered Kylar. He remembered the girl he'd been with back then too. Different than the current one.

Too bad that they beat him to the bomb. He'd never liked Megaton. He preferred Underworld, or Rivet City.

He lot out a short sigh, and drank his beer. He must be patient. Like the spider, or a slow-acting poison, he knew he had to wait. But also like the spider, or a slow-acting poison, the eventual effect was almost always deadly. But you had to wait first. The longer the wait, the deadlier the poison.

And Grim was very, very good at being patient.

* * *

I've nothing to say, asides from if you can't make out who Grim is, then I shall become very depressed.

Okay. My computer crashed BIG TIME, so I'm posting this so that you know. I'm writing on a friend's computer right now, but don't worry. When** my **computer's back online, I have a flood of stuff to publish.  
My apologies.

Frost


	34. 34 Retirement

_Disclaimer: I do not own Fallout 3 or any of it's irradiated and fatal content._

Kylar opened the door of the clinic, and stepped in. Marisa was on him in a second, with a knife to his throat. _Did **not **expect that. _Marisa's expression was fierce, until she realized who it was that she was holding up. She withdrew the knife, and tucked it away into it's sheath. "Kylar, what's going on? I heard gunshots..." She trailed off, noticing the blood on his duster. "What did you do?" She asked suspiciously.

By then, Micheal had taken notice of Kylar. "What's going on?" He called from the other side of the curtain.

"Answer me Kylar." She growled, with a vigor that Kylar hadn't known that she possessed. "What did you do?"

Kylar frowned. He didn't want to, but she was his employer. No choice. "I found a Phantom." He said bluntly. "You know the rest." Marisa stared at Kylar, and turned away. "Marisa, you know what they did. I didn't have a choice."

Marisa whirled on him. "No." She hissed. "No you didn't. But I do. As of right now, your contract is null and void. You're fired!"

Micheal blinked. "Whoa, Marisa, take it easy. He was getting back at the people who fucked up his life!"

Marisa stalked to the other side of the curtain, and turned on Micheal. "When the hell did you start taking **his **side, huh!"

Micheal raised his hands. "I didn't, but revenge, I can understand, and empathize with." He sighed deeply, and put his hands down. "Cut him some slack."

"No." Marisa was on a roll, and she wasn't going to stop. "He's got so much shit to deal with, it's starting to effect me, and you, and my Father. I'm not going to deal with him anymore! Because of him, I lost more than a week looking for Dad, lost Amata's dad, lost my self-confidence, for letting him do every goddamn thing, not even getting the opportunity to show him what I'm capable of! He's raised more hell than I want to deal with." Marisa took a deep breath, calming herself. "He's fired."

Marisa turned around. "Now get out o-" She stopped, and looked around the room. All she saw was the door close. She turned around, and saw Micheal gesture at the door wildly. "Go after him!" He said hurriedly.

"Why?"

"Because we need him! Or because you do, or because you can't end a relationship like that! Go talk to him!" Micheal shouted.

Marisa jumped down his throat before he could finish what he was going to say. "What fucking relationship!" She nearly yelled.

_Oh fuck._ "Not that kind of relationship, but any relationship! Whatever he was to you, he was important! Go find him!"

Marisa turned around, and headed for the door. "Fuck this." She growled. The door opened, and slammed shut.

**... Kylar's POV ...**

"...fired!"

Kylar stopped. Stopped breathing. Stopped thinking. Stopped everything.

_Fired?_

_But. I have to finish the contract. _

_But. Marisa._

_Micheal?_

Hello body. Please stop hyperventalating. Please stop fighting back confusion. Please stop blinking back the not-tears. Hello?

Please stop the madness._  
_

_...Hello?_

Kylar found himself outside, unable to control his legs. Maybe he was going to the Brass Lantern?

_No. Fuck no._

Forwards still. Up a ramp. To the right.

_Moriarty's._

Kylar opened the door, and staggered over to the counter. "Gob." He croaked.

Gob knitted his brow in confusion. He'd never seen Kylar like this before. He was blinking frequently, and had a lost, confused look about him. "You alright smooth-skin?" Gob asked, still looking Kylar over.

He shook his head. "No."

"What happened?"

Kylar pounded his fist down onto the counter. Hard. "Shut up." He had to control himself to keep from shouting. "Give me your strongest drink." Gob, and the rest of the customers, just stared at Kylar. Some left. Some went back to their own damn business. Some, like Lucy West, tried to calm Kylar down.

"Kylar, relax. What happ-"

Kylar grabbed her by the wrist, and squeezed. "Shut. Up." Kylar growled menacingly. "And leave me alone." He heard something...what was it? Part of Kylar's senses came back to Earth as he realized that he was hurting Lucy. His hand popped off of her. "Just leave me alone." Kylar whispered. He grabbed the drink that Gob had brought out, and fell into a chair in the corner.

**One Hour Later.**

Kylar had finished the bottle, and had ordered another. And another. The whole while, he kept quiet, even when Moriarty came in to shout at him. Nothing changed from the moment he sat down. His shoulders slumped, eyes unfocused, a blank face that bordered on grief-stricken. On the whole, the embodiment of depression. Nova couldn't shake him out of his funk. Nor could Gob. Billy, Nathan, even Moira came when she heard.

And in walked Lucas Simms. "Alright Kylar." The sheriff said, irritated. "That's it. Get the hell out of my town." Kylar didn't respond. _Click._ The sheriff's gun was now cocked, and aimed directly at Kylar's head. "You heard me and I goddamn know it. Get up." Kylar stood, and looked Simms in the eye.

"I'm not causing you trouble Sheriff."

"Bulls-"

Kylar cut Simms off. "Not anymore." He tore off his knife, tranquilizer pistol, SA80, and various hidden weapons on his person, dropping them carelessly on the ground. "I'm done." Kylar whispered. "Just leave me alone."

Simms looked Kylar over, and put his gun to the side. "What are you on Kylar? Jet?"

"Nothing."

"Then what the **hell** excuse are you going to come up with to explain yourself now?"

Kylar shook his head. Again. "None. I retire. I'm done." He glanced at the ground, and picked up one of the silenced .10mm pistols in the small pile. "I'm going to drink myself to oblivion, and then go."

Simms eyed the pistol. "Don't you even think about it." He warned.

Again the shaking. "I won't Sheriff. Don't worry."

Simms took one last look at him before turning away. "Make sure he doesn't cause any trouble." He muttered to Jericho on the way out.

"Fuck you."

The Survivors had been finished. The sequel is Hunter. The storyline in between the two will be detailed in flashbacks or various other methods throughout the sequel.


End file.
